What Causes a Burning Sensation After Peeing?
Remember that time when you sat on the toilet to pee and ended up with an intense burning sensation down there as if your urethra was on fire? Or that time when it started to sting as soon as you started to pee?
Peeing is a natural bodily function and one that shouldn’t end in tears.
If you’ve experienced any discomfort while urinating, you are not alone. Technically known as dysuria, a vast majority of people experience painful urination, which often signals a number of underlying infections, some of which even require urgent medical intervention.
So what causes a burning sensation while urinating? Let’s find out.
Causes and Symptoms of Dysuria
Symptoms of dysuria include:
- Pain when you start to pee or once you finish peeing
- Stinging or burning sensation during peeing
- An itchy feeling in the urinary tract
- Intense back pain
Various conditions can result in dysuria. Here are some of the most common causes:
UTIs
The number one culprit of dysuria is an infection in your urinary tract. Any build-up of excess bacteria in your bladder, urethra, or kidneys can cause a UTI and cause a burning sensation right after you finish peeing.
Since people with vaginas tend to have a shorter urethra, they are more likely to contract a UTI. Moreover, those who are sexually active are likely to get more UTIs as compared to those who aren’t sexually active. You should follow a thorough cleansing after sex to prevent infections.
A suppressed immune system, blockages in the urinary tract, any surgery or medical exam of the urinary tract can also increase your chances of contracting UTIs.
Prostate infection
Burning after urination in males can be due to a short-term bacterial infection of the prostate gland. Apart from causing difficulty in urinating, a prostate infection can also result in pain in the bladder, testicles, and penis.
Yeast infection
A common symptom of yeast infection is experiencing burning after urination in females due to yeast overgrowth in the vagina.
Overgrowth of yeast in the vagina can result from long-term antibiotic use that disturbs the natural vaginal flora, unchecked diabetes, impaired immune system, pregnancy, and taking oral contraceptives which increases estrogen levels.
If you are suffering from a rash in or around the vagina, noticing a reddish and swollen vulva or cottage cheese-like discharge from the vagina along with burning pee, it is time to get it checked by your OB/GYN.
Sexually transmitted infections
Infections such as gonorrhoea, herpes, and chlamydia affect the urinary tract and cause a burning sensation while urinating. The urethra, vaginal tissues, and the vulva become extremely inflamed during an STI, which results in you experiencing a burn when you try to pass urine. Reduce your chances of catching STIs by wearing a male or female condom.
Vaginal tears due to sex
Any abrasions in your vagina during sexual intercourse can also result in burning and irritation during peeing. If your vagina feels particularly sore after the act, it’s a tell-tale sign that sex-related vaginal tears are responsible for that stinging sensation when you visit the restroom.
When should you see a doctor?
If the burning sensation is consistent and you are also experiencing other symptoms that mirror UTIs, STIs, yeast infection, or prostate infection, get in touch with a doctor so that you can start taking antibiotics. Watch out for symptoms such as cottage cheese-like discharge from the vagina, rash or swelling of your vagina, pain in the bladder, testicles, and penis, intense pelvic pain, etc.
It is best to avoid DIY treatments for painful urination as that may cause more harm than good. Having said that, if you are experiencing a burning sensation due to tears in your vagina, you can consider pouring warm water around your vaginal area to soothe the nerves and also use plenty of lube before the next intercourse.
Have you ever experienced a burning sensation during your visit to the loo? Did you find out what the cause was?
Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.
