Have pain while urinating? Know why and what you can do about it

Every adult passes urine about 4 to 7 times in a day and it should be a painless process. However, at times, it may be accompanied by pain and burning.

There could be several reasons for painful urination. Most of them are related to issues in the excretory system or the reproductive system, and can be different in men and women.

1. Urinary tract infections are the most common cause of painful urination. They occur when germs gain entry into the body through the urethra and cause infection. Bacteria flourishing in the urinary tract cause inflammation of the surrounding tissue resulting in painful and burning sensation. Here are some common signs suggesting you’re suffering from utilize included.
2. Kidney stones could also be a cause for painful urination. This could be usually accompanied by pain in the lower back.
3. In men, urethritis is a main cause of painful urination. It is caused by bacterial or viral infection, and due to some diseases that are sexually transmitted (gonorrhea or Chlamydia). A prostate infection or prostate cancer is also a common cause of pain while urinating in men. Here are 6 symptoms of prostate cancer you should know.
4. In young girls and women, reproductive problems can cause painful urination. For example, changes during menopause affect the vaginal tissue causing irritation while urinating. Yeast infection and herpes is also common in women. Women may also suffer from pain with long-term use of a catheter in the bladder. Women are also prone to cystitis because of their short urinary tract.
5. Allergic reactions to certain bathing products such as soaps or lotions can also cause painful urination.
6. Inflammation of the kidney(pyelonephritis) is a rare cause of painful urination.
7. Damage to the urinary bladder in radiation cystitis or bladder tumor is also a rare cause.

If left untreated, what are the complications?

If painful urination is left untreated, it can be life threatening depending on the cause. Complications include kidney failure, septicemia, shock and spread of cancer.

That’s why it is better to seek medical help if the symptoms last for 2 days, especially if your pain is associated with other symptoms like foul smelling urine, pus or blood in the urine, nausea, vomiting, fever, pain in lower back and frequent chills.

Treatment and Prevention

If the cause of painful urination is an infection, then it is treated with antibiotics, urinary analgesics and anti-fungal agents in the form of creams or tablets. There are several natural remedies for painful urination as well.

Here are some tips to avoid painful urination:

1. Drink lots of water every day to cleanse your system.
2. Urinate as soon as you feel the urge to urinate to reduce the risk of infection. Here are some more tips to prevent urinary tract infections.
3. Avoid eating spicy and sugary foods. They can irritate the linings of your bladder, cause pelvic cramps and also burden your kidneys and bladder.
4. Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee. They tend to stimulate bladder irritation and cause dehydration. Avoid eating tomatoes and citrus foods.
5. Follow proper hygiene daily. After urinating, women should dry the area from front to back for preventing germ inoculation in the urinary tract. Change sanitary towels regularly during periods.
6. Avoid using products like soap, oils or talc around the genital area that can cause irritation.
7. Practice safe and hygienic sex. Urinate after having an intercourse to flush out bacteria from the urethra.
8. Avoid wearing tight clothes.