A number of conditions can cause painful urination. The most common cause of painful urination in women is a urinary tract infection. Other possible causes of painful urination in women include bladder stones, kidney stones, STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, a vaginal yeast infection or other types of infection or endometriosis. We will discuss these conditions successively.
Causes of pain when urinating woman
- Pain when urinating due to urinary tract infection
- Bladder stones and kidney stones
- Bladder stones
- Kidney stones
- Sexually transmitted infections (STDs)
- Pain when urinating due to an STD
- Chlamydia infection
- Vaginal yeast infection
- Endometriosis
Urinary tract / Source: La Gorda/Shutterstock.com
Pain when urinating due to urinary tract infection
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. A bladder infection or cystitis is the most common urinary tract infection and the culprits are usually coliform bacteria from the rectum. With a bladder infection, the infection is only in the bladder. Women are much more susceptible to a bladder infection than men, partly due to the location of the opening of the urethra, which is relatively close to the anus. Moreover, the urethra in women is only 3 cm, while in men it is about 20 cm. Bladder infections can cause the following symptoms:
- having to go to the toilet frequently;
- a burning sensation during urination;
- urinating only a few drops at a time;
- cloudy urine or some blood in the urine;
- elevation (no fever); and
- pain in the lower abdomen or back.
A bladder infection can rise to your renal pelvis and cause a renal pelvic infection. You then feel much sicker, which is accompanied by fever and often pain in the flank or side.
A bladder stone of 14 mm / Source: Steven Fruitsmaak, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
Bladder stones and kidney stones
Bladder stones
Bladder stones are usually small clumps of waste products in the bladder, which are caused by uric acid or calcium depositing in the bladder. Bladder stones are less common in women than in men. Bladder stones can cause all kinds of complaints, including pain when urinating, frequent (urge) urination (especially at night), blood in the urine and cloudy or abnormally dark-colored urine.
Kidney stones
Men are two to three times more likely to develop kidney stones than women. Kidney stones do not always cause complaints; small stones are urinated. If a kidney stone becomes stuck, complaints arise. Initially you suffer from a vague but manifest pain in the lower back (flanks). The pain gradually becomes worse and comes in increasingly severe attacks. You often feel the pain on the side of the abdomen, with pain radiating to the groin, upper leg or genitals. There is an urge to move; you are restless and you have to move around or you are literally crawling on the floor in pain. An additional urinary tract infection causes fever. Other possible symptoms of kidney stones include:
- nausea and vomiting;
- (heavy) sweating;
- blood in the urine; and
- having to urinate more often than normal.
Sexually transmitted infections (STDs)
Pain when urinating due to an STD
STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pain or irritation when urinating. Gonorrhea often causes few or no symptoms in women. Complaints may include vaginal discharge, which may be smelly or pus-like, bleeding between periods and pain or irritation when urinating.
Stomachache / Source: Leszek Glasner/Shutterstock.com
Chlamydia infection
A chlamydia infection often causes no or few symptoms. While untreated chlamydia can have unpleasant and far-reaching complications, such as inflammation in the fallopian tubes, inflammation in the pelvic area, chronic abdominal pain and reduced fertility. Complaints of chlamydia may include pain or burning when urinating, pain and blood loss during and after sex, blood loss between two menstruations and increased or changed vaginal discharge. Severe lower abdominal pain, with or without fever, may also occur.
Vaginal yeast infection
Most vaginal yeast infections are caused by the fungus Candida albicans . The vagina contains bacteria and fungi that ensure a healthy vagina (= vaginal flora). Due to certain circumstances, the balance in the vagina is disturbed and some fungi can have the opportunity to grow too much. A fungal infection develops. Disrupting factors include frequent washing of the vagina with soap, antibiotic use or an increased estrogen level (for example if you are pregnant or if you are taking the pill). A vaginal fungal infection does not always cause complaints. Possible complaints may include vaginal itching, where the labia may also itch. You may also suffer from a white, not strong-smelling, sometimes slightly chunky discharge. The mucous membrane in the vagina can be red, swollen and painful and you may sometimes experience a burning or painful sensation when urinating or having sex.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis affects the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the uterine cavity. also occurs in places outside the uterus. The uterine lining (endometrium) that is outside the uterus (endometriosis) also responds to hormones involved in the menstrual cycle. Endometriosis can cause complaints, but it does not have to. Common complaints include menstrual problems, chronic abdominal pain, painful sexual intercourse, intestinal and bladder problems during the menstrual cycle and fatigue. The complaints that occur are often related to the location of the existing foci of endometriosis. If a focus of endometriosis presses against the bladder, pain may arise when urinating or you may experience a sense of urgency. Endometriosis that continues to grow in the bladder can cause blood loss in the urine. This blood loss will often occur during menstruation, but sometimes also outside of it.
read more
- Pain during urination in men and women: symptoms and causes
- Pain when urinating: causes burning sensation when urinating
- Pain in abdomen after urination or abdominal pain after urination: causes
- Stitches in lower abdomen: stabbing pain in the lower left or lower right
- Frequent urination: causes frequent urination at night or during the day
