Painful Urination
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Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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Content updated on Apr 4, 2024

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How Ubie Can Help You

With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

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  • Pain at the beginning of urination

  • Burning pain when urinating

  • It hurts when I start urinating

  • Burning when passing urine

  • Burning when I pass urine

  • Pain at the start of urination

  • Burn feeling when peeing

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About the Symptom

Dysuria describes a painful sensation with urination usually felt in the urethra (the tube carrying urine out of the bladder) or the area around the genitals. This pain is often described as burning or a discomfort.

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

  • Abdominal pain

  • Sensation of incomplete voiding

  • Urinary frequency

  • Gross hematuria

  • Fever

Possible Causes

Generally, Painful urination can be related to:

  • Gonorrhea

    Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the N. gonorrhoeae bacteria.

  • Genital Herpes

    This is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). It causes small, painful blisters on the private parts.

  • Trichomoniasis

    Infection of the vagina by a parasite called Trichomonas. The disease is sexually transmitted but often does not cause any symptoms in men.

  • Prostate Cancer
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Chronic Pyelonephritis
  • Chlamydia Infection

Related serious diseases

Sometimes, Painful urination may be related to these serious diseases:

  • Urethritis

    Bacterial infection of the urethra (tube from which urine exits the body) leading to pain and penile discharge. It is most often caused by sexually transmitted diseases like Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infections as well as viruses like herpes.

  • Acute Prostatitis
  • Acute Pyelonephritis

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

  • Do you have pain when urinating?

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Find Similar Symptoms

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References

  • Mehta P, Leslie SW, Reddivari AKR. Dysuria. 2022 Mar 8. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 31751108.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549918/

Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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