Pain in the urethra

Pain in the urethra begins to bother, most often, when an infection gets into it. Gateways for infectious contamination can be colds, inflammatory processes, sexual contact with a venereal patient or a carrier of this pathogen. The presence of sand and stones in the organs of the urinary system provoke the appearance of painful sensations in the urethra at the moment of their passage through it.

Any body part, organ or organ system, as well as their individual components, can, under unfavorable conditions, cause discomfort, cause painful sensations, signaling that a disease has appeared or is just beginning to form.

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Diseases that cause pain in the urethra

The reasons for pain in the urethra can be divided into urethral reasons and reasons associated with diseases and problems of the organs of the entire genitourinary system.

The main causes of painful urination:

• sexually transmitted infection (chlamydia, ureaplasma and mycoplasma, trichomonas, gonococci);
• inflammation of the walls of the urethra;
• inflammatory process in the bladder;
• prostate pathology;
• the presence of sand and stones in the urinary system;
• tumor neoplasms;
• trauma and spasms in the urethra.

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Pain in the urethra: anatomical background

There is nothing complicated or tricky in the structure of the urethra (anatomical name - urethra). It is simply a tube through which urine from the reservoir (urinary bladder) is discharged to the outside. The urethra has elastic walls, which are covered from the inside with a thin, pale pink delicate mucous membrane, the outer wall is a muscular layer, represented mainly by connective fibers.

The length of the urethra in women is only 3.5 - 4 cm, with a diameter of about 1.5 cm. While in men, the urethra can be up to 20 - 22 cm long, with a diameter of about 8 mm. Pay attention to these indicators again. The length and diameter of the urethra is of great importance when an infection penetrates it by the ascending principle. Therefore, when pain in the urethra occurs, when analyzing possible causes, it is necessary to start, first of all, from the patient's gender.

Throughout its entire length, the urethra in men is adjacent to the prostate gland, the pelvic diaphragm and the body of the penis. In this regard, it is divided into corresponding sections, which are called prostatic, membranous and spongy. The prostatic section passes near the body of the prostate in such a way that the release of sperm into the cavity of the bladder is completely excluded. In the membranous section, the urethral section narrows, turning into its narrowest section, and passes into the longest section - spongy, which ends in the urethral opening.

The length of the female urethra is small and is adjacent only to the vagina with its inner wall. Along the entire length of the canal there are many paraurethral glands that produce mucus. The more aroused the woman is, the more mucus these glands produce.

To prevent urine from spontaneously flowing out of the bladder cavity, the urethra has special valves - sphincters, one is located inside the bladder, where it passes into the urethra, the other is outside the urethra. During inflammatory processes, spasms may occur in the sphincter area, which causes pain in the urethra.

The internal environment of the urethra consists of a certain microflora. In women, the microflora "lives" throughout the entire length of the canal, and is represented by an insignificant content of epidermal and saprophytic staphylococci, lactobacilli. If bifidobacteria are found in small quantities in the microflora of the woman's urethra, this can also be an indicator of the norm. In men, in a healthy state, the entire internal environment of the urethra is practically sterile, with the exception of the external section, about 5 cm long. In this section, the content of epidermal and saprophytic staphylococci is acceptable.

Urethritis and pain in the urethra

Possible reasons:

• infectious lesions of the internal walls of the urethra through the penetration into it, in an ascending manner, of pathogenic microflora, represented by many types of representatives, the so-called "sexually transmitted infection";
• traumatized walls of the urethra, for example, in cases of forced catheterization, with acute urinary retention, most often subsequently lead to the formation of acute urethritis;
• disruption of metabolic processes in the body;
• frequent allergic reactions.

Symptoms of urethritis

• pain in the urethra during urination, accompanied by severe cutting;
• slight cloudy discharge is observed from the urethra;
• In men, adhesion of the outer walls of the urethra is observed.

Diagnostic methods

To make a diagnosis, it is enough to take a general urine test and a smear from the urethra to determine the microflora.

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Treatment of urethritis

Urethritis is well and successfully treated with a course of antibacterial therapy. Based on the results of the analysis to determine the microflora in the urethra, a test is carried out for its sensitivity to antibiotics. The group of antibacterial drugs is prescribed, the sensitivity of the microflora to which is the highest. The course of treatment lasts, depending on the complexity of the inflammation process, from 7 to 14 days. Antibiotic treatment is supported by physiotherapy procedures and general strengthening therapy.

Chlamydia and pain in the urethra

Chlamydia infection occurs without any obvious symptoms. Through sexual contact, Chlamydia can enter the body during passage through the birth canal. Chlamydia is dangerous not so much in itself, but because of the complications it can cause. The most dangerous complication is infertility, both in women and men. Chlamydia affects the inner lining of the genitals in women, making it impossible for the embryo to attach to the uterine cavity. In men, Chlamydia has a detrimental effect on spermatozoa, making them less mobile and changing their structure.

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Symptoms of Chlamydia

As already mentioned above, chlamydia is detected as an independent disease very rarely, preferring to proceed covertly, disguising itself as various diseases, which are, in fact, its complications. Pain in the urethra forces the patient to see a doctor, where it turns out, though not in all cases, that the cause is chlamydia. Making a correct diagnosis is complicated by the nature of chlamydia.

Chlamydia "hides" so successfully that it is almost impossible to detect it with regular blood, urine, and smear tests. Chlamydia provokes the development of cystitis in women and prostatitis in men. Unpleasant sensations in the genital area, itching and burning that accompany each urination process, pain. If you have one or more of these symptoms, there is reason to visit a urologist and undergo a mandatory diagnostic examination aimed at detecting or excluding chlamydia.

Diagnosis of chlamydia

Chlamydia is a very cunning microorganism, the presence of which in the human body is very difficult to determine. Having settled inside the epithelial cell, it thus disguises itself as a "native" cell of the body and chlamydia cannot be seen in any of the tests. This explains the difficulty of timely diagnosis of chlamydia as an independent disease. However, despite all the difficulties, it is still possible to "catch" chlamydia using the following diagnostic tests:

• taking a smear from the vagina and cervical canal of the cervix in women, from the urethra in men;
• examination of a drop of secretion from the prostate gland in men;
• blood test to detect atichlamydial antibodies. This type of analysis is called enzyme immunoassay;
• PCR is the most effective and sensitive analysis – polymerase chain reaction.

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Treatment of chlamydia

Chlamydia penetrates the walls of many organs of the genitourinary system and the treatment of chlamydia is complex and long-term. The main treatment is considered to be antibiotics, and strong groups. Directing treatment to eliminate the pathogenic microorganism, in parallel, they treat the complications caused by its reproduction.

Cystitis and pain in the urethra

The most common cause of pain in the urethra is cystitis. This disease is more common in the female half of the population, but men also have cases of inflammatory processes in the bladder, albeit rarely.

Possible causes of cystitis • colds and hypothermia (this is how cystitis develops mainly in women); • infections of various etiologies;

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Diagnosis and treatment of cystitis

A description of the patient's main complaints, supported by the results of a general urine and blood test, bacterial urine culture to detect microflora - is often enough to establish an accurate diagnosis. In severe cases, when laboratory tests alone are not enough, they resort to instrumental examination - cystoscopy.

Next comes the choice of the correct therapeutic course. The fact is that cystitis treatment should be carried out only under the supervision of a urologist or, in extreme cases, a gynecologist, if we are talking about a woman. Self-treatment very often leads to the development of a chronic process and the addition of concomitant infections.

The pain in the urethra can be relieved by taking any anti-inflammatory drugs for a short time, but this will not mean a complete elimination of the root causes that caused it. The fading of the pain syndrome leads to the fact that the person's worries pass, and he forgets about the probable disease, which contributes to the aggravation of the situation.

Depending on the infectious agent identified as a result of bacteriological culture, an analysis is carried out on the sensitivity of the infectious agent to antibiotics, after which the appropriate therapy is prescribed.

The course of treatment for cystitis includes combating the underlying disease, eliminating all associated symptoms, and is also aimed at strengthening the body's immune system. The fact is that in a healthy state, the body, in particular the urethra, contains a large amount of pathogenic microflora, which a strong immune system is quite capable of coping with on its own. As soon as the immune system weakens, the infection takes over and one or several diseases begin to develop. In cases where cystitis develops, it is imperative to pay attention to the immune system.

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Urolithiasis and pain in the urethra

During urination, pain in the urethra may have nothing to do with infectious or inflammatory processes. The presence of sand in the urine has a strong irritating effect on the walls of the urethra, which is what causes the pain.

Causes of urolithiasis:

• disturbances in the body's metabolic processes;
• burdened heredity;
• decreased thyroid function;
• long-term vitamin deficiencies;
• errors in diet with an imbalance towards spicy and salty foods;
• use of water with a high content of calcium and chlorine salts for drinking.

The presence of stones and sand is not limited to the kidneys, any part of the urinary system can contain a certain amount of deposits of this nature. Considering the reasons for which pain in the urethra occurs, we will limit ourselves to the bladder area. Sand, including large stones, gets here from the kidneys. When stones move along the ureters, sharp pains occur and there may be blood in the urine, which is a consequence of cuts in the walls of the ureters or urethra.

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Diagnosis of urolithiasis

To date, diagnostic measures and therapeutic measures for urolithiasis have been well studied, and the mechanisms for guiding the patient to recovery have been debugged as effectively as possible. The main task facing the patient is to promptly consult a doctor at the slightest negative sensations during urination. A urologist, having data from a general urine test, general and biochemical blood tests, can confirm the diagnosis of urolithiasis with a high degree of confidence. To increase the probability, you can undergo an ultrasound procedure for examining the kidneys.

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Treatment of urolithiasis

It is worth choosing conservative or surgical treatment only at advanced stages of the disease. At early stages, conservative treatment is often enough to completely cure the patient. A strict diet, excluding irritating food (spicy, salty), with a high liquid content, drugs aimed at dissolving sand and stones in the urinary tract. At the initial stages of treatment, it is advisable to use painkillers so that the pain in the urethra does not have a painful effect. There is no point in indicating the name of the drugs, because the treatment of urolithiasis should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor and the appointment of a course of treatment depends on many indicators.

How to prevent pain in the urethra?

At all times, disease prevention is the best way to prevent them, detect them early and guarantee high rates of recovery, even in the most dangerous illnesses. Attentive, caring and sensitive attitude to your own body is the key to good health. The body itself will let you know when and what you need to pay attention to and help it cope with the illness in time. Pain in the urethra is just the signal that cannot be missed and should not be ignored. Find some free time and be sure to visit a doctor. Against the background of complete well-being in health, visiting doctors, for preventive purposes, should be done once every six months, thereby protecting yourself from the development of serious illnesses.