What causes painful urination?

Burning, urgency, and frequent small amounts of urine commonly occur with a urinary tract infection. Fever, chills, pain in the side or back, nausea, or feeling very unwell can occur when infection involves the kidney. Kidney stones may cause severe wave-like side or groin pain and blood in the urine. Prostatitis can cause pelvic pain, difficulty passing urine, or pain with ejaculation. Chlamydia and other causes of urethral irritation may produce discharge or discomfort. Dehydration makes urine more concentrated and can intensify stinging, while soaps or other irritants can inflame sensitive skin.

Arrange a medical review if painful urination lasts, returns, or comes with urgency, discharge, blood, pelvic pain, or a change in urine. Drink fluids regularly unless you have been told to restrict them, and avoid products that irritate the area. A clinician may test urine and, when relevant, test for sexually transmitted infections. Antibiotic treatment is appropriate for some bacterial infections, but the choice should follow an assessment rather than leftover medicine.

Seek urgent assessment for fever with back or side pain, vomiting, confusion, inability to pass urine, severe pain, or visible blood in the urine. Prompt review is also sensible during pregnancy, for children, or when symptoms are rapidly worsening. The associated symptoms guide urgency; burning alone does not identify a particular condition.

Do I need a urine test or sexually transmitted infection test? Could a stone, prostatitis, dehydration, or irritation explain the symptoms? If an infection is found, which treatment is suitable and when should improvement begin?