Pain during urination is a fairly common symptom that happens when you feel some form of discomfort when you urinate. This pain can either be coming from your bladder or the pipe that leads out from the bladder called the urethra
The urethra is a small tube that carries urine outside of your body. In men, this pipe/tube is longer, in women it is shorter common length being just 4cm
Painful urination is very common. There is a strong possibility that you reading this have experienced this at one time or the other.
Pain, burning, or stinging can be caused by a number of diseases/conditions
Causes of pain during urination
Urinary tract Infections
The commonest cause of painful urination is an infection of your urinary tract, the urinary tract is made up of the urethra (that small tube we talked about earlier), the bladder (a reservoir for urine that lies below your umbilicus, and your kidneys (they produce the urine)
Any infection in any of these organs can lead to pain when you urinate.
Women are more likely to develop urinary tract infections than men. This is because the urethra is shorter in women than it is in men: 4cm compared to almost 20cm in most men.
A short urethra makes it easy for bacteria to reach the bladder which is one of the reasons why women get urinary tract infections more than men.
Women who are pregnant or menopausal also have an increased risk of developing urinary tract infections.
Prostatitis
The prostate gland is a small ball of tissue that lies between the bladder and the penis in men. When this gland becomes infected or inflamed, urination can become painful.
This inflammation causes swelling, which may lead to pain while urinating.
Sexually Transmitted Infection
Some STIs that may cause painful urination include gonorrhoea, herpes and chlamydia. It is important to protect yourself from infections by being faithful and always using a condom
You can also get screened for these infections
If you are sexually active, you should get tested
Painful Bladder Syndrome
Interstitial Cystitis is also known as painful bladder syndrome. It’s the most common type of cystitis. It is an inflammation of the wall/lining of the bladder
Doctors currently do not know what causes this particular condition,
Also, radiation for example from X-rays can also cause pain while urinating and pain in the bladder also
Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are basically hardened materials that form within your urinary tract, When these stones pass, through these tubes, they can cause pain during urination, but can also cause pain while you are not urinating, which can be intense
How Do I treat Painful Urination?
Your doctor will prescribe medication to treat painful urination.
Your doctor will ask you certain questions to determine what the cause of your painful urination is, then would run tests on your urine and may request a scan depending on your complaints
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to antidepressants depending on the cause, as painful bladder syndrome can be treated with antidepressants as they help to relax the bladder
Painful urination due to a bacterial infection usually improves fairly quickly after you start taking medication. Always take the medication exactly as your doctor prescribed.
Always see a doctor