How To Get Rid of Burning Sensation When Urinating

Many women experience pain and burning sensation when urinating. But what is behind it? And what is the best thing to do?

Focus 1: The bubble

The most common reason for the painful burning sensation is cystitis – half of all women suffer from it at least once in their lives. It is usually caused by bacteria like Escherichia coli. They usually settle in the bowel, but in women they can easily get into the bladder because their urethra is short and opens close to the bowel outlet.

Typical symptom: It burns especially at the end of urination. “The empty bladder collapses, the inflamed walls touch each other”, explains Dr. Christian Albring, gynecologist in Hannover. This can be accompanied by abdominal pain, sometimes blood in the urine. The urge to go to the toilet all the time is typical. This is also experienced by women with an overactive bladder – but they do not feel any burning sensation.

This helps

Drink a lot at the first signs, about three liters a day, whether water, tea, juices or soup. If the urine is almost as clear as water, the amount is right. There is no evidence that certain teas work better than other liquids. Extracts of bearberry leaves, however, are recommended by ESCOP (European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy) against urinary tract infections. They have a germicidal effect.

If you buy bearberry leaves as tea in a pharmacy, you should get advice on how to prepare it. Warmth is also good for you: put a hot-water bottle on your abdomen and allow yourself some rest. And: Do not hold back the urine, the germs have to get out. You can also find out yourself whether bacteria are actually behind the complaints with a urine test from the pharmacy (approx. 6 USD).

You should see a doctor

If a bladder infection occurs during pregnancy. In general, if the symptoms do not improve after three days or if there is also severe pain in the kidney area or fever. In this case the bacteria could have caused an inflammation of the renal pelvis, which must be treated. An uncomplicated cystitis, on the other hand, is harmless. “80 percent heals by itself,” says Dr. Wolfgang Bühmann.

With medical help, however, the pain disappears faster. Antibiotics (trimethoprim, TMP for short, or nitrofurantoin) are usually prescribed for three days. Although the single administration of TMP also helps in four out of five cases, the relapse rate is higher than if it is taken over a longer period of time. A pilot study carried out by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover showed that women improved comparatively quickly if they took the painkiller ibuprofen instead of antibiotics.

How to prevent it

Sitting in the damp grass, wearing a wet swimsuit – the abdomen quickly becomes cold, especially in summer. This reduces the blood flow and makes it easy for the germs to multiply. Intimate sprays and vaginal douches (or chemical contraceptives such as spermicides) attack the vaginal flora – the natural protection against intestinal bacteria. “Only clean the vagina with water,” recommends the gynecologist Albring. Many women get bladder infections even after intimacy – again, bacteria from the intestines that get into the urinary tract are to blame. It is therefore very important to empty your bladder soon after love making.

What to do if the bladder often causes problems?

Anyone who falls ill more than three times a year should see a urologist to clarify possible causes. Lowering the uterus, for example, can cause residual urine, which is friendly to bacteria, to remain in the bladder at all times. A bladder tumor should also be excluded. In the long term, long-term therapy with cranberry extract or – especially for problems after love making – the regular administration of antibiotics can also help. For some years now there has also been a vaccination in the form of tablets or injections.

Focus 2: The genital area

Sometimes, however, the unpleasant symptoms of urination are not caused by the bladder, but by an inflammation of the labia and vagina. This can have various causes: Bacteria (usually Escherichia coli), for example, cause urgency and pain in the toilet, even if only the vagina and urethra are affected.

Infection with Chlamydia – the most common sexually transmitted disease – can also cause a slight burning sensation when urinating. In addition, there is pulling in the abdomen, some discharge. A fungal infection with candida, on the other hand, causes a severe burning, itching and discharge. But also the labia can sometimes become inflamed without any pathogens and hurt when urinating: for example, due to friction between the thighs or acidic, sharp urine, which is produced when you drink very little.

This helps

Against E-coli infections of the vagina and urinary tract, antibiotics do not necessarily have to be taken – a vaginal gel with lactic acid (over-the-counter in the pharmacy) seems to be more effective, a study by the Berlin Charité shows. Antibiotics are always prescribed against Chlamydia – also for the partner. Even if chlamydia causes acutely only minor symptoms, the long-term consequences can be dramatic: One fifth of all cases of female infertility are due to an untreated chlamydia infection.

Creams or suppositories for self-treatment (with clotrimazole) help with fungi. After a fungal treatment, the vaginal flora should be replenished, but not with yoghurt-soaked tampons, says Albring, because they contain fungi. Suitable are vaginal tablets or suppositories (e.g. “SymbioVag”, “Gynoflor”). In chronic cases, the partner’s penis and sperm should be examined and possibly treated. A visit to the dentist can also be worthwhile, as yeasts like to hide in untreated caries holes and repeatedly colonise the intimate area.

You should see a doctor

You can treat fungal infections yourself, but it is better to see a doctor the first time you have them or if you have more than four infections a year, and generally during pregnancy.

How to prevent it

To avoid inflammation of the vaginal region, the same hygiene rules apply as for protection against bladder infections. Only change tampons during menstruation if necessary, as they also absorb protective vaginal fluid. Be careful with anything that can irritate the skin: depilatory creams, underwear made of synthetic fibres, very tight clothing, panty liners with plastic wrap. Condoms protect against sexually transmitted germs such as Chlamydia.