Painful urination with burning, also known as dysuria, is not something to ignore. This type of pain is often most intense immediately after you stop urinating. It is often felt internally in theurethra(the tube that carries urine out of your body) and sometimes in the area surrounding the genitals.
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Common Causes of Dysuria
People with vaginas are far more likely than males to get UTIs.In addition to dysuria, a UTI can also cause urinary frequency, urinary urgency,blood in the urine,cloudy urine, or incontinence.
While UTIs are the most common cause of dysuria, there are other causes as well.
Common causes include:
Other Causes of Painful Urination
Other less common causes of painful urination include:
Causes of Urethral Pain and When to Seek Care
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider if:
How Many Times Should I Pee in One Day?
Diagnosis
Your healthcare provider may be able to diagnose the cause of your painful, burning urination when you describe your physical symptoms. Often, you will need to have a urine sample tested as well.
If there is concern about an STI, your healthcare provider may also swab the lining of the vagina, penis, or urethra to check for signs of infection.
At your visit, your healthcare provider will ask about your medical history, including information about medical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus or immunodeficiency disorders.
The sample your healthcare provider takes may be analyzed for white blood cells, red blood cells, viruses, or bacteria.
A urine culture, which takes about two to five days for results, will show which bacteria are causing the infection. It also helps the healthcare provider decide which antibiotics will help treat the bacteria.
Often, if there is a strong suspicion of a bacterial infection, antibiotics are started after the urine sample is taken, even before the results come back. However, if you have a bacterial infection that requires a different antibiotic than the one you were prescribed, your doctor may give you a different prescription.
If your urine sample shows no sign of infection, you may need additional tests to determine the cause of your symptoms, such as a physical examination or imaging tests of the bladder, pelvis, or prostate.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bent S, Nallamothu BK, Simel DL, Fihn SD, Saint S.Does this woman have an acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection?. JAMA. 2002;287(20):2701-10. doi:10.1001/jama.287.20.2701Coker TJ, Dierfeldt DM.Acute bacterial prostatitis: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(2):114-20.Michels TC, Sands JE.Dysuria: Evaluation and differential diagnosis in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;92(9):778-86.Devillé WL, Yzermans JC, Van duijn NP, Bezemer PD, Van der windt DA, Bouter LM.The urine dipstick test useful to rule out infections. A meta-analysis of the accuracy.BMC Urol. 2004;4:4. doi:10.1186/1471-2490-4-4Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Painful urination.Mayo Clinic.Painful urination.McAninch JW. Symptoms of disorders of the genitourinary tract. In: Tanagho EA, McAninch JW (eds)Smith’s General Urology.17th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bent S, Nallamothu BK, Simel DL, Fihn SD, Saint S.Does this woman have an acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection?. JAMA. 2002;287(20):2701-10. doi:10.1001/jama.287.20.2701Coker TJ, Dierfeldt DM.Acute bacterial prostatitis: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(2):114-20.Michels TC, Sands JE.Dysuria: Evaluation and differential diagnosis in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;92(9):778-86.Devillé WL, Yzermans JC, Van duijn NP, Bezemer PD, Van der windt DA, Bouter LM.The urine dipstick test useful to rule out infections. A meta-analysis of the accuracy.BMC Urol. 2004;4:4. doi:10.1186/1471-2490-4-4Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Painful urination.Mayo Clinic.Painful urination.McAninch JW. Symptoms of disorders of the genitourinary tract. In: Tanagho EA, McAninch JW (eds)Smith’s General Urology.17th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bent S, Nallamothu BK, Simel DL, Fihn SD, Saint S.Does this woman have an acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection?. JAMA. 2002;287(20):2701-10. doi:10.1001/jama.287.20.2701Coker TJ, Dierfeldt DM.Acute bacterial prostatitis: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(2):114-20.Michels TC, Sands JE.Dysuria: Evaluation and differential diagnosis in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;92(9):778-86.Devillé WL, Yzermans JC, Van duijn NP, Bezemer PD, Van der windt DA, Bouter LM.The urine dipstick test useful to rule out infections. A meta-analysis of the accuracy.BMC Urol. 2004;4:4. doi:10.1186/1471-2490-4-4
Bent S, Nallamothu BK, Simel DL, Fihn SD, Saint S.Does this woman have an acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection?. JAMA. 2002;287(20):2701-10. doi:10.1001/jama.287.20.2701
Coker TJ, Dierfeldt DM.Acute bacterial prostatitis: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(2):114-20.
Michels TC, Sands JE.Dysuria: Evaluation and differential diagnosis in adults.Am Fam Physician. 2015;92(9):778-86.
Devillé WL, Yzermans JC, Van duijn NP, Bezemer PD, Van der windt DA, Bouter LM.The urine dipstick test useful to rule out infections. A meta-analysis of the accuracy.BMC Urol. 2004;4:4. doi:10.1186/1471-2490-4-4
Cleveland Clinic.Painful urination.Mayo Clinic.Painful urination.McAninch JW. Symptoms of disorders of the genitourinary tract. In: Tanagho EA, McAninch JW (eds)Smith’s General Urology.17th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
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