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Painful & Frequent Urination

Painful Urination

The medical term for painful urination is dysuria. Painful urination can be caused by several factors. A common cause is a urinary tract infection (also called a bladder infection). Urination may hurt if your bladder is inflamed . This may occur even if you do not have any infection. Certain drugs, like those used in cancer chemotherapy, may inflame the bladder. Something pressing against the bladder like a kidney stone stuck near the entrance to the bladder or an ovarian cyst can also cause painful urination.

Painful urination can have other causes, such as vaginal infection or inflammation. You will feel pain when urine passes through the inflamed tissue. Or sometimes, you might be sensitive to chemicals in certain products, such as douches, pads, vaginal lubricants, soaps, scented toilet paper or contraceptive foams or sponges. If it hurts to urinate after you've used these products, stop using them, you're probably sensitive to them. You may also get a rash if you use these products, thus causing pain when you urinate.

Other possible causes of painful urination may be STDs and urinary tract infections (UTIs), and changes in vaginal tissue due to menopause. About 20 percent of women will have a urinary tract infection at some point in their lives. The chances of having a UTI increases with age and it increases if you are sexually active.

Less common causes of painful urination include bladder tumors or spasms, kidney stones, and scarring or narrowing of the urethra. A urine test can detect a urinary infection and your doctor may do a pelvic exam as well. Treatment for an infection usually includes antibiotics or anti-infective drugs and advice to drink lots of water.

Blood In The Urine

Even a small amount of blood in the urine can be a sign of a serious condition. Therefore, it should never be ignored.

Frequent Urination

The need to urinate more often is also another problem faced by many women. It may or may not be accompanied by an increase in the amount of urine released. Common causes of frequent urination include urinary tract infection; STDs such as herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, pregnancy; changes in the vagina due to menopause; women who've had more than one pregnancy and inability to completely empty the bladder.

Stress can also cause one to urinate more often, as can drinking beverages containing caffeine. And some people simply have small bladders that fill up more quickly.

Problems with the nerves that control the urinary system can also affect the need to urinate. In adolescents, frequent urination can be a sign of an overactive thyroid gland. If the need for frequent urination is accompanied by an increase in the amount of urine, possible causes may be drinking more water than usual, diabetes, alcohol, high blood pressure and other heart conditions, kidney disease, and high levels of calcium in the blood.

As you can see, frequent urination is not necessarily a cause for alarm, but if you see no simple explanation for it, a medical check-up may be necessary. No matter how harmless a symptom may look outwardly, always consult your doctor.

Make sure that you are not suffering from Urinary Tract Infection(UTI) :

Symptoms of UTI or bladder infection include a strong urge to urinate that cannot be delayed which is followed by a sharp pain or burning sensation in the urethra when the urine is released. Most often, very little urine is passed and the urine may be tinged with blood. The urge to urinate recurs quickly and soreness may occur in the lower abdomen, back, or on the sides. This cycle tends to repeat frequently during the day and night , and most people urinate about eight to ten times a day. If you feel the need to urinate more often, a bladder infection should be suspected.

See your doctor

You should tell your doctor if you've had urinary tract infections or any time of pain during urination. Also tell your doctor about any other diseases you have, such as diabetes or AIDS.

What is the Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections

Antibiotics are the usual treatment for bladder infections and other urinary tract infections. Seven to ten days of antibiotics is usually required. Or you may have to go through some urine tests as prescribed by your doctor.

Tips for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections