Painful urination (dysuria)

Definition

Causes

Medical conditions and other factors that can cause painful urination include:

• Bladder stones
• Cervicitis
• Chlamydia trachomatis
• Cystitis (irritation of the bladder)
• Genital herpes
• Gonorrhea
• Having a recent urinary tract procedure done, including any that used urologic tools for testing or treatment
• Interstitial cystitis — also called painful bladder syndrome, a condition that affects the bladder and sometimes causes pelvic pain.
• Kidney infection (also called pyelonephritis)
• Kidney stones (Hard buildups of minerals and salt that form inside the kidneys.)
• Medicines, such as those used in cancer treatment, that can irritate the bladder as a side effect
• Prostatitis (Infection or inflammation of the prostate.)
• Reactive arthritis
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Soaps, perfumes and other personal care products
• Urethral stricture (narrowing of the urethra)
• Urethritis (infection of the urethra)
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Vaginitis
• Yeast infection (vaginal)

When to see a doctor

Make a medical appointment for:

• Painful urination that doesn't go away.
• Fluid coming from the penis or vagina.
• Urine that smells bad, is cloudy or has blood in it.
• Fever.
• Back pain or pain in the side, also called flank pain.
• Passing a stone from the kidney or bladder, also called urinary tract.

Pregnant people should tell a member of their health care team about any pain they have while passing urine.