There are very few things that are as annoying as going to the toilet and finding that it hurts to urinate. There are a few major causes of painful urination – most of which can be treated and dealt with quite effectively with few significant complications. Let’s take a look at some of the more common causes of painful urination and what can be done to help in each case.
By far the most common cause of painful urination is cystitis. This is a medical term for a bladder infection. Most people refer to these infections as urinary tract infections. Technically a urinary tract infection can be anywhere from the kidneys to the urethra – cystitis is a specific type of UTI.
Cystitis is more common in women than it is in men. This is because the bacteria which cause cystitis get in to the bladder from the outside, and women, due to their anatomy, have a much shorter distance from the bladder to the outside world. Sexual intercourse can also increase the odds of getting cystitis – in fact, there is even a “fake” diagnosis that doctors use behind the scenes called “honeymoon cystitis”. The best way to prevent this is to urinate soon after sex.
Cystitis can be cleared up in most men and women with the use of an antibiotic. The bacteria that cause cystitis are relatively responsive to antibiotics. In a few cases, a person will get multiple UTIs in a short time – necessitating more detailed examinations.
In men, prostatitis can be a cause of painful urination. Only men have a prostate gland. This is a small, walnut sized gland that surrounds of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). When the prostate becomes infected, it can become quite painful to urinate. As with cystitis, the best treatment for prostatitis is antibiotics.
By far the most painful condition that can cause painful urination is kidney stones. These are small calcium stones that form in the kidneys. They can either stay in the kidneys, or drop down in to the ureters, bladder, or urethra. If they get stuck anywhere along this path, they can cause absolutely exquisite levels of pain. I should know, I’ve had three. Women who’ve had both kidney stones and children have reported childbirth to be less painful than the kidney stone.
Once the kidney stone passes and the obstruction is opened up, the pain usually resolves instantaneously. There are things that doctors can do to facilitate the passing of the stone – they usually hydrate a person with IV fluids and provide pain medication. Urinating when you have a small stone blocking the plumbing can be very, very painful.
These three conditions, UTI (cystitis), prostatitis, and kidney stones, are easily the most common causes of painful urination. If you are having pain when you urinate, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. These conditions can be treated, but if left untreated, can lead to some serious medical problems.
