A symptom you should never ignore: painful urination

October 9, 2015

When your body speaks, you should listen. Most people aren't very good at it, though, and it's tempting to ignore a problem that could signal something bad. Even if you do pay attention to your symptoms, it's not easy to know what they mean. That's why diagnosis is a job for a doctor. But you can use the information here to help you decide how urgently you need to see one.

A symptom you should never ignore: painful urination

Are you experiencing painful urination?

Description: a burning sensation during urination; may be accompanied by a frequent need to urinate.

Possible causes: a urinary tract infection.

Response: see your doctor, who will order diagnostic urinalysis. Treatment is usually an antibiotic.

Description: a burning sensation during urination accompanied by fever over 38°C (101°F) and back pain.

Possible causes: a kidney infection.

Response: see your doctor. An antibiotic is prescribed when a bacterial infection in the urinary tract moves to the kidneys.

Description: itching and burning during urination; may occur after antibiotic treatment.

Possible causes: a yeast infection.

Response: see your primary care physician or gynecologist, who may collect a mucus specimen from your vagina to check for the presence of yeast.

Description: painful urination after starting a new medication.

Possible causes: a side effect of medications and some antidepressants, osteoporosis drugs, and cancer drugs.

Response: talk with your doctor about whether a different drug should be substituted. Side effects sometimes disappear after a few days or weeks of taking a medication.

Description: pain or pressure in the bladder area, with difficulty emptying the bladder completely.

Possible causes: an ovarian cyst pressing against the bladder.

Response: see your doctor, who will order tests such as an ultrasound and may biopsy the cyst if cancer is suspected.

Description: severe pain in the back and side; may be accompanied by a frequent need to urinate, inability to urinate, bloody urine, fever, chills or foul-smelling urine.

Possible causes: kidney stones.

Response: see your doctor, who will order a CT scan or abdominal X-ray. Many kidney stones pass on their own when a patient drinks up to three litres (three quarts) of water per day. If they don't pass, they may need to be surgically removed or shattered with shock waves.

Description: painful urination possibly accompanied by sores, blisters, scabs or pustules in the genital area; painful intercourse; and unusual discharge from the vagina or penis.

Possible causes: a sexually transmitted infection such as genital herpes, genital warts, syphilis, gonorrhea or HIV/AIDS.

Response: see your doctor; prompt treatment can often prevent more serious symptoms. Avoid intercourse until you've seen your doctor.

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