Pain during urination is a broad term that explains discomfort that occurs during urination. This pain may originate from your bladder, urethra or in the perineum. A urethra is a tube that connects the bladder and the ureter, or it carries the urine from the bladder to the outside of your body. The medical term that is used to describe burning when urinating is dysuria. Usually, the burning may occur exactly while you are urinating or after you have finished urinating. The problem is said to be very common in women due to the female anatomy.
Women have short urethras and close proximity of the urinary tract to the anus and vagina which exposes them to ease of infections in the urinary tract. However, there are some men who are more predisposed to urinary infections because of having certain underlying medical complications.
Burning when I Pee Causes
Having a burning pee is not something to be taken for granted. This can make you even want to burst into tears. There are many issues that may result to this condition some of which can be easily treated.
In most cases, dysuria frequently indicates the presence of a urinary tract infection. Immediately you realize you are suffering from this condition, it is important to seek treatment. Symptoms of burns during pee are common in young women, and people who are sexually active.
Why it burns when you pee
Feeling a burning sensation while you pee is caused by many reasons as we are going to share below. It is important to realize the cause so that you may find the right means of treatment. These causes include the following:
- sex
The skin around the vagina and inside the urethra is very sensitive and delicate. Therefore, any vigorous attention applied there can cause inflammation which in turn results in a burning sensation when you pee afterwards. Also, micro abrasions usually occur when having sex. They are tiny cuts which are microscopic, and they may hurt while urinating since urine is salty and when it passes over the open wounds it results to pain.
Also, people who are so allergic and very sensitive may develop irritation from things such as spermicide, lube, and condoms. Therefore, if you are very sensitive to spermicide you may use condoms that made without them. In general, find out which chemical you are allergic to and avoid it.
- Urinary tract infection
This is a condition that is very common in women than men as we said above because of the short distance from the urethra to the vagina and anal area where there are a lot of bacteria, hence bacteria can easily travel from the anal area to the urethra and then to the bladder. The common symptom that is associated with UTI is burns when you pee and also frequency of feeling to pee in some cases.
Urinary tract infection can easily be treated by the use of antibiotics, that is, after your medical provider has carried out a urine culture to confirm that you are suffering from it. You may also drink a lot of water to flush out and dilute the urine and this may also help to reduce the pain and bring down the progression of the infection.
- Sexually transmitted infections
There are numerous sexually transmitted diseases that can also cause a burning sensation when urinating as one of their present symptom. STIs can only be identified through proper test. Some of the common STIs that cause burn when peeing are gonorrhea and chlamydia, which may also develop other more symptoms. Though most people do not recognize herpes, it can also cause a burning sensation during urination. It is associated with a small blister or site of irritation filled with pain and may be felt like a burning sensation.
If your doctor realizes that you are suffering from any STI, he/she may advise you on the right medication to use. You may be advised to use soothing creams which contain numbing ingredients like iodine, which may be applied topically to bring down the burning feeling while you wait for other symptoms to disappear.
- Yeast and bacterial infections
Research confirms that, there exists yeast on the body natural which is put in control by good bacteria. Women are mostly affected by yeast infection which results from the overgrowth of a naturally existing yeast. Also, bacterial vaginosis is a condition in women that is associated with symptoms like burning sensation during pee and itchiness. These conditions are distinguished from UTI because they cause a discharge with and fishy odor. Due to the inflammation that both infections result into, burns when peeing or a sensation of pressure like feeling is common with them.
You can treat yeast infection with the use of anti-fungal drugs which are prescribed by a medical provider that are inserted in the vagina.
- A strenuous exercise
Every time we contract our muscles, heat is produced because as we exercise more, the amount of heat we produce increases proportionally. As the body warms during this activity, the temperature of internal fluids rises, including urine that is stored in the bladder. Therefore, if you pee right after the exercise, this will be warmer than normal and therefore burn a little bit. This condition is very normal and it should not cause worry.
- Surfing, swimming and other water sports
Salt and sand from the beach can get into your bathing suit and result in a lot of irritation, just as being in a wet bikini bottom for a long period of time. Bacteria like thriving in a warm, dark and wet environment and thereby causing an infection in such areas. Minimize this kind of risk by wearing a wetsuit as much as possible when you surf, and letting your bathing suit dry before layering any shorts.
- Post menopause atrophic vaginitis
Hormonal changes that occur during menopausal period can cause a condition referred to as atrophic vaginitis or vaginal atrophy. In this case, the skin of the vulva including the vagina thin out, resulting to a burning sensation with some irritation that occur either when urinating, having sex or just carrying out your daily activities. This condition is not a cause for alarm although you can talk to your doctor to let him/her know what you are going through. There are hormonal supplements that can be prescribed to reduce the symptoms that result from these hormonal activities.
- Use of harsh feminine hygiene products
Some women believe that a vagina is a super dirty area of the body and therefore use some deodorizers and perfumes to clean the area. This should not be the case as these products may cause more problems instead of helping. You should know that a vagina has its own self- cleaning process that keep the pH in balance and put things in order. The use of products such as douches or feminine hygiene washes may result in irritation that can be the cause for your burns after urination. This is very common to women who have super sensitive skin that develops allergy with even fragrant bubble baths.
- Non-sex related vaginal tear
There are some women who develop a burning after pee just because they gave birth. Since all the tissues down there stretches in an impressive way to allow the baby to come out, vaginal and perennial tears can take place. This is the reason why new mums usually use perennial irrigation bottles or warm salty water squirts to bring down the pain from the tears.
- Urethral stricture
This is a condition that commonly affects men. In this case, the urethra is narrowed due to tissue inflammation or the development of a scar tissue. This condition makes urine to be unable to pass through the urethra or pass through with a lot of difficulties and therefore resulting into burning in the process. This condition can be addressed in the doctor’s office and it is always important to address the case early.
Burning Sensation after Urination
In most cases, the burning feeling after urinating can be attributed to infections. As we talked above, infections in the urinary tract can occur at any part. Usually, the infection starts from one place and after some time spread to structures.
Burning sensation can be a serious problem if left untreated for long time. Infections that lead to this condition can spread to areas like bladder, ureters and even kidney in severe cases. Most of the reasons we have talked about above can lead to burns after urination.
A burning sensation may occur while peeing or after peeing. All these depend on what is causing the burning. Common conditions that cause pain after peeing include urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal infections such as yeast and bacterial vaginosis, and urethral stricture in men.
Burning Urination Male
Men have very few reasons as to why they develop a burning sensation when peeing as compared to women. Therefore, women are easily affected by this condition as compared to men. There are some conditions that can affect both male and female while others are specifically for men and women separately. When a bladder is overstretched maybe because you had a lot of drinks before you went to sleep thereby making to be much full, this can as well cause you to have burns while urinating.
In men there is a condition called urethral stricture. This is a condition whereby the urethra thins out making it difficult to pass out urine efficiently, as we have talked about above. This condition only affects men and it is caused by the inflammation of the urethra or development of a scar tissue in the tube. UTI can equally affect men as women and therefore control measures should be applied equally to both genders.
As a man, you have to be careful when it comes to sex, as sexually transmitted infections have the same symptoms to both genders and in most cases they are identified in men earlier than in women.
Continuous Burning after urination Female
The structural anatomy of female makes them easily affected by conditions that lead to burning sensation after peeing. Women have short urethra and therefore making them to be easily affected by infections in their urinary tract. As we have seen above, UTI is a major cause of burns and pains that occur during and after urination. Most of the conditions we have talked about on factors that lead to burns when peeing affects women.
For instant, a vigorous sex causes tears in the vagina and therefore will result in a painful peeing and the case is not common in men. On the other hand, yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis are some of the common infections women complain of in the doctor’s office as research has revealed.
Women are advised to consider more preventive measures when it comes to continuous burning after urination. The following are some of the conditions that cause burns after pee in female and not in male:
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Vaginal tears
- Unnecessary feminine hygiene products
- Post menopause atrophic vaginitis
- Vaginal yeast infection
If you are not sure of the condition you are suffering from, you may consult your doctor who may take a sample of your urine to the lab for a test. Also, you may have to explain your feeling and some of the activities you got involved in recently that may have caused you burns when you pee.
Burning Urine Home Remedy and How to Get Rid
Going for antibiotic is not the only way of getting rid of conditions that result in burning sensation while peeing. The use of home remedies can be also helpful in relieving this problem. You do not require a prescription when it comes to the use of home remedies and they can be used right at home in addition to the doctor’s treatment. However, it is very important to be cautious when it comes to the use of home remedies so that you may not use the right treatment at the wrong place.
The following are some of the home remedies you can use when dealing with burns that occur during peeing:
- Drink a lot of water
This can be one of the most efficient ways you can use at home when it comes to dealing with urinary tract infection. Water helps in flushing out bacteria and more importantly provide something you can push out when you feel like peeing. Most of the home remedies for this condition are drinks because you should always be flushing fluid through your system to offer a helping hand in removing the nasty bacteria.
You just have to drink water at least 8 glasses in a day at the first hint of an infection. Then keep clearing your urinary tract so that you can bring down the burns that are brought about by UTI.
- Peeing frequently
This will help to empty the bladder hence preventing from overstretching to result in burns while urinating. Also, peeing is one way of reducing pains caused by UTI since the bacteria is being removed though pee. Even if peeing may be a bit uncomfortable, doing it repeatedly may reduce the pain regardless of the condition that is causing the pain when peeing.
- Take some baking soda
Baking soda is very important when it comes to dealing with infections in the urinary tract. This is because it is an alkaline substance that helps in neutralizing or lessening the acidity that is contained in the urine hence making it to burn while you urinate. In case you find yourself resisting the urge to urinate because of the burning sensation that result from the pee, taking baking soda can help in relieving the discomfort.
Just stir a teaspoon baking soda in water until it dissolves, and then drink the whole glass. Do this every morning for a period of one week in case you are trying to avoid salt since baking soda is highly rich in sodium.
- Use of herbal remedies
Herbal remedies such as bearberry leaf can help in lowering urinary tract infections. However, this king of herb should be taken for a short period of time to avoid side effects. Also, goldenseal herb is advised to be used when it comes to dealing with UTI.
- Practice safe sex
Burning sensation during urination caused by sexually transmitted infections can be avoided by practicing safe sex if you are sexually active. You may use condoms made from products that you are not allergic to. Encourage your partner that both of you go for STIs tests and if either of the partners is infected let the condition be treated immediately.
- Use recommended lubricants
Only use recommended sex lubricants to avoid tears while having sex. Also, tell your partner to be gentle while you have sex to avoid causing trauma to your vagina.
It is important to seek medical care in case you realize that the burning isn’t going away after trying several home treatments. You r doctor may carry out some tests to find out which condition is causing you a burning urination. Do not wait until the case get to worse as this may take long to heal.
More references
- What causes painful urination: https://www.healthline.com/symptom/painful-urination
- http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Burning-After-Urination.html
- Dysuria- urination discomfort: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/dysuria/article_em.htm