Although a urinary infection is the most common cause of burning when urinating, it is not the only possible cause. It is important to observe if there are other clinical signs (fever, frequent and urgent need to urinate, bladder pressure, etc.) and to carry out analyzes to be able to make the diagnosis. The treatment prescribed depends on the identified cause. Find out what causes urinary burns and how to react.
1. Possible causes of urinary burns
Urinary burns can have various causes, the MSD Manual explains:
- Inflammation of the bladder: also called cystitis, it is more common in women than in men due to their anatomy (rectum close to the urinary meatus and shorter urethra). The most common cause is the bacteria Escherichia coli, present in the colon and rectum, which spreads to the bladder through the urethra. Urinary burning is then accompanied by polyuria (frequent urge to urinate), cloudy and smelly urine, and urgency (compelling and urgent urge to urinate).
- Inflammation of the urethra: in men, urinary burns are most often caused by an infection of the urethra, called urethritis, caused by an STI (sexually transmitted infection), informs the Public Health Information Service . This infection can be caused by herpes, chlamydia or even gonorrhea.
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy in men, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can also cause burning when urinating. Indeed, with age, the volume of the prostate increases. The prostate gland then compresses the urethra, and prevents complete emptying of the bladder.
- Interstitial cystitis: unlike cystitis of infectious origin, interstitial cystitis causes urinary burns without any germs being present in the urine, specifies the urology department of Bichat hospital in Paris. The cause is still poorly understood, confirms the French urology association, UroFrance. Symptoms intensify in cases of stress, consumption of spicy foods or foods rich in potassium (and therefore irritating to the bladder wall), menstruation or ovulation.
- Bladder or urethral urinary stones, which partially obstruct the urinary tract and do not allow the bacteria to be completely emptied through urine. The bacteria therefore stagnate in the bladder for a longer period of time and irritate the bladder mucosa.
2. How to react in the presence of urinary burns?
Generally speaking, you need to hydrate a lot in case of burning when urinating. This allows the urine to be less concentrated and therefore less irritating, on the one hand. And it helps eliminate bacteria present in the bladder via urination induced by absorbed water, on the other hand. Another reflex to adopt in the event of urinary burns: take your temperature. In the event of a fever, an infectious cause is likely, and a quick consultation with your doctor is necessary, within the day, or the next day at most. The latter will then carry out a urine cytological examination (ECBU), in order to detect the possible presence of germs. At the same time, he will have an antibiogram carried out if germs are found.
The doctor’s reaction will then depend on the cause identified for these urinary burns. If germs are found, antibiotic treatment is then prescribed. A urinary infection that is not treated medically can lead to very serious health consequences. Indeed, bacteria present in the bladder can pass through the ureter and ascend from the bladder towards the kidneys. The risk is then to develop pyelonephritis, which is a serious infection of the kidney, which is accompanied by high fever, unilateral lower back pain, and nausea or vomiting. However, pyelonephritis, without urgent medical treatment, can give rise to very severe complications such as a renal abscess or septicemia.
Conversely, if there are no germs present in the urine, in other words if we are in the presence of interstitial cystitis, then the treatment will be purely symptomatic, it will aim to relieve the person. In fact, there is currently no curative treatment for interstitial cystitis. Treatment involves prescribing a suitable diet (elimination of spices, tobacco, alcohol, etc.), analgesics and antidepressants for their analgesic effects, or even antihistamines to reduce urgency. Finally, pelvic muscle exercises, or training the bladder so that it complies with a fixed urination schedule during the day complete the treatment of interstitial cystitis.
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Read also :
⋙ Urinary burning, persistent odors, itching of the vulva: how to treat them?
⋙ Cystitis: symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments
⋙ Urinary infection in men: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment