What Is Dysuria?

Dysuria is a pain sensation felt on urination [1]. It might be because of problems in the kidney, ureter, urinary bladder, urethra, perineum, or any other path along the urinary tract. The urination is often very painful and that is why the patients present to the hospital. The pain and burning sensation can indicate a number of medical conditions. It is usually felt along the urethra.

Men and women can both experience dysuria due to many reasons, but it is more common in women compared to men. Most of the time, it can be an indicator of an underlying health problem of the urinary system.

 

What are the Symptoms of Dysuria?
Symptoms of dysuria vary from person to person and also vary quite significantly in men and women, both genders experience burning, itching, and painful sensation [2].

Dysuria can be pain during or after urination, which can help distinguish the cause of the pain. Pain during urination is often a symptom of urinary tract infection while pain after urination indicates an underlying problem. In men, pain can be felt along the penis while urinating, as well as after urination.

Symptoms in women are also quite similar, where pain outside the vagina indicates infection of the skin while internal pain indicates symptoms of urinary tract infection.

 

What are the Causes of Dysuria?
Pain on urination can be caused by several underlying pathologies that obstructed the normal flow of urine. Following are the causes [3]:

• UTIs
• STDs
• Prostatitis
• Cystitis
• Urethritis
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Obstructive Uropathy
• Kidney Stones

 

How Is Dysuria Diagnosed?
A doctor should be visited when pain and burning sensation are felt on urination. Diagnosis is made first by taking a complete medical history from the patient [4].

The sexual history is also taken to determine if the pain on urination is due to any sexually transmitted condition. Tests for STIs are usually done especially if there is any discharge from the penis and vagina other than urine. Pregnancy tests are also done if the woman is of childbearing age.

A urine sample might be taken to analyze it for microorganisms, RBCs, and WBCs. Usually, the presence of white blood cells in urine is indicative of urinary tract infections.

If the condition remains unclear, the doctors suggest a screening test to check for problems in other organs of the urinary tract.  A swab test of the urethra to check for signs of infection.

 

How Is Dysuria Treated?
Different causes require different treatments. The first step is to determine if the dysuria is due to an infection, dietary factor, or an underlying problem with the bladder or any other organ of the urinary tract.

• For urinary tract infections, the physicians prescribe antibiotics.
• If the pain is due to inflammation caused by irritation of the skin, the pain can be avoided by avoiding the irritant
• If the pain is due to an underlying condition then it can be resolved by treating the underlying condition.
• Being adequately hydrated can help reduce the pain in urination.

 

How Is Dysuria Prevented?
There are several different lifestyle modifications through which the symptoms of dysuria can be prevented. These include [5]:

• Being Well-hydrated
• Good Sexual Hygiene
• Increase In Vitamin C Foods
• Avoiding Irritants
• Using Probiotics

 

 

 

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549918/
2. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-us/299
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26554471/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11989635/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28087935/

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