What is urinary burning?
Urinary burning is pain that is felt when urine is being expelled from the bladder. The symptoms may be constant or variable and may improve or worsen depending on body function and movement. The pain may be described as a raw sensation or a stinging feeling and can range in intensity from mild to severe. Urinary burning may be accompanied by pain or difficulty when urinating (dysuria), feeling a constant need to urinate (urgency), or blood in the urine (hematuria).
There are many potential causes of urinary burning. Urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, and sexually transmitted diseases, such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea or herpes, are common causes. Urinary burning will also occur if you experience damage or injury to any of the structures of the urinary tract, including the kidney, bladder, urethra or ureter. Injury or trauma could also be a result of sexual abuse.
Urinary burning can be caused by pain and discomfort in the vulva (vulvodynia) or by diseases or conditions of the reproductive system that affect the vulva (external genitalia). Urine content may also cause burning when urinating and can be the result of eating acidic or spicy food or drinking caffeine or alcohol.
Seek prompt medical care for symptoms including bloody or pink-colored urine (hematuria), dysuria (difficulty urinating), urinary retention, or high fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit). Seek prompt medical care if you are being treated for urinary burning but mild symptoms recur or are persistent.
What other symptoms might occur with urinary burning?
Urinary burning may accompany other symptoms that vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect the urinary tract may also involve other body systems.
Urinary symptoms that may occur along with urinary burning
Urinary burning may accompany other symptoms affecting the urinary tract including:
Bloody or pink-colored urine (hematuria)
Changes in urine color
Dysuria (difficulty urinating) and urinary retention
Foul-smelling urine
Frequent urination that often produces only a small amount of urine
Urgent need to urinate
Other symptoms that may occur along with urinary burning
Urinary burning may accompany symptoms related to other body systems including:
Abdominal, pelvic, or lower back pain that can be severe
Fever and chills
Pain during sexual intercourse
Pain in your groin or side
Redness, warmth or swelling
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life threatening condition
In some cases, urinary burning may be a symptom of serious condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms:
High fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
Inability to urinate
Severe abdominal pain
What causes urinary burning?
Infections, inflammation, and trauma are all causes of urinary burning.
Infectious causes of urinary burning
Urinary burning may be caused by infections including:
Candidiasis (yeast infection)
Sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea or Chlamydia
Urinary tract infections
Other causes of urinary burning
Urinary burning can also be caused by:
Bladder disorders or inflammation
Chemical irritation of the vulva
Irritants in the urine, such as byproducts of alcohol, caffeine, and spicy or acidic food
Sexual intercourse
Serious or life-threatening causes of urinary burning
In some cases, urinary burning may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID, an infection of a woman’s reproductive organs).
Questions for diagnosing the cause of urinary burning
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your urinary burning including:
How long have you felt burning when you urinate?
Do you have any other symptoms?
Do you have urinary burning after eating or drinking certain items?
Is your urine discolored or bloody?
What medications are you taking?
Because urinary burning can be caused by serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:
Infertility
Sepsis (life-threatening bacterial blood infection)
Spread of infection
