Pain and burning on urination: what causes it and what to do in case of dysuria
The term ‘dysuria’ refers to pain or burning during urination, i.e. during the emission of urine. What can be the causes and who should be contacted?
Dysuria: the characteristics of pain on urination
Dysuria is a symptom that the patient may experience on several occasions.
In fact, pain can appear either during the act of urine leakage, i.e. during its passage along the urethra and/or even more simply when the bladder is full.
There are several organs connected with dysuria
- the urethra – the channel that joins the bladder and allows urine to flow out of the body;
- the bladder;
- the prostate in men.
Patients who suffer burning and pain during urination may have:
- an infection of the bladder and/or lower urinary tract;
- an irritative urge, possibly related to the presence of bladder lesions;
- a problem with bladder emptying in the case of obstructing prostatic hypertrophy with consequent obstruction of the outflow of urine along the urethra.
Dysuria, why does one feel pain during urination?
Dysuria in women is a very common disorder and can be referred to ‘lower urinary tract’ infections.
We therefore speak of urinary tract infections, alluding mainly to bacterial colonisation of the bladder, such as cystitis, and of the urethra, such as urethritis.
In fact, the urethra, which in the female gender is much shorter than in the male gender, together with intestinal dysbiosis, which is more equally represented in the female gender, facilitate the entry of bacteria, which can ascend into the bladder and multiply.
As a result, women tend to be more affected than men.
Many bacteria that cause urinary infections – such as Escherichia coli – can live normally in the intestine: there they perform their function properly, but if they migrate into the urinary tract, they can become aggressive.
In men, dysuria is often linked to benign prostatic hypertrophy, a particularly common condition characterised by obstruction and difficulty in emptying the bladder.
In cases of prostatitis, i.e. inflammation of the prostate, dysuria may be indicative of the condition.
Finally, burning and pain on urination may be a sign of certain sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia, often further associated with the emission of urethral secretions, or may also occur on the expulsion of small lithiasic fragments or in the case of pyelonephritis (infection of the kidneys). In this case often associated with flank pain and high fever.
What to do in case of pain on urination?
In order to treat the symptom, it is essential to know the cause, which is why you should always consult your doctor, who will also check for other symptoms, often related to urinary tract infection or prostatitis, such as:
- increased body temperature
- gross haematuria (the presence of blood in the urine)
- pelvic-perineal pain.
To establish the diagnosis, the doctor may use tests such as urine culture with possible antibiogram, urine examination, ultrasound of the urinary apparatus – to be performed with a full bladder – and possibly urine cytology on three samples.
After the investigations the most appropriate treatment will be determined.
If a bladder lesion is present, endoscopic resection surgery is opted for; if, on the other hand, there is obstruction from benign prostatic hypertrophy, the main option is always medical therapy in order to resolve the dysuria (the surgical option is secondary to the failure of medical therapy), while in the case of a urinary tract infection, antibiotic therapy is chosen.
This will be chosen depending on the antibiogram, which will help determine which therapy is most effective against the germ responsible for the infection.
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