Dysuria (patient information)

Dysuria
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Dysuria?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Prevention
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Editors-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. Associate Editor-In-Chief: Ujjwal Rastogi, MBBS [1]

Overview

Dysuria is the presence of pain during urination. It can also be described as any pain, discomfort, or burning sensation when passing urine.

What are the symptoms of Dysuria?

Pain may be felt right where the urine passes out of the body. Or, it may be felt inside the body, behind the public bone, or in the bladder or prostate.

Pain on urination is a fairly common problem. Peole who have pain with urination also may have the urge to urinate more often.

What causes Dysuria?

Painful urination is most often caused by:

• Infection or inflammation somewhere in the urinary tract
• Urethritis (in men) caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia

Painful urination and women and girls may be due to:

• Changes in the vaginal tissue during menopause (atrophic vaginitis)
• Herpes infection in the genital area
• Irritation of the vaginal tissue caused by bubble bath, perfumes, or lotions
• Vulvovaginitis, such as yeast or other infections of the vulva and vagina

Other causes of painful urination include:

• Interstitial cystitis
• Prostate infection (prostatitis)
• Radiation cystitis - damage to the bladder lining from radiation therapy to the pelvis area

Who is at highest risk?

• Those with more than one sexual partner.
• Those who engage in sex with an infected partner.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if:

• There is drainage or a discharge from your penis or vagina
• You are pregnant and are having any painful urination
• You have painful urination that lasts for more than 1 day
• You notice blood in your urine
• You have a fever

Diagnosis

Your health care provider will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your symptoms and medication history, such as:

• When did the painful urination begin?
• Does the pain occur only during urination?
• Does the pain stop after urination?
• Do you have back pain?
• What other symptoms do you have?
• Have you had a fever higher than 100 degrees F?
• Is there drainage or discharge between urinations?
• Is there an abnormal urine odor?
• Are there any changes in the volume or frequency of urination?
• Do you feel the urge to urinate?
• Have you noticed blood in the urine?
• Are there any rashes or itching in the genital area?
• What medications are you taking?
• Are you pregnant or could you be pregnant?
• Have you had a bladder infection?
• Do you have any allergies to any medications?
• Have you had sexual intercourse with someone who has, or may have, gonorrhea or chlamydia?
• Has there been a recent change in your brand of soap, detergent, or fabric softener?
• Have you had surgery or radiation to your urinary or sexual organs?

The doctor might run the following test

• Urinalysis.
• Urine culture

If you had a previous bladder or kidney infection, a more detailed history and physical are needed, and extra laboratory studies may be necessary. A pelvic exam and examination of vaginal fluids are necessary if a female has a vaginal discharge. Men who have discharge from the penis will need to have a urethral swab done.

Treatment options

Treatment depends on what is causing the pain.

Where to find medical care for Dysuria?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Dysuria

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Prognosis depends on the cause of the dysuria.

Possible complications

• Cystitis
• Pylonephritis
• Urinary tract infection

Prevention

To flush out bacteria from the bladder, for that you should take the following precautions:

• Drink several glasses of water each day
• Women should wipe from front to back after having a bowel movement
• Women should urinate after sexual intercourse

To prevent dysuria caused by irritation,

• Women:
  • Should keep the genital area clean and dry
  • Change tampons and sanitary napkins frequently
  • Avoid using irritating soaps, vaginal sprays, and douches

• Female children:
  • Should limit bubble baths
  • Wash girls thoroughly but gently after playing in sand and be wary of extended play in wet swimsuits, all of which can lead to irritation and redness of the vulva (vulvitis)

To help prevent dysuria caused by sexually transmitted diseases:

• Avoid sex or have a sexual relationship with one uninfected person
• If you have more than one sex partner or if you think your partner could be infected, use latex condoms during sexual activity.