When should you see a doctor about painful urination?

Burning or pain during urination may reflect irritation of the urethra or bladder. A urinary infection is one possibility, while dehydration can make urine concentrated and uncomfortable. Sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or genital herpes can also cause urinary pain, sometimes with discharge, sores, or pelvic symptoms. Pain in the side or back, nausea, or fever raises concern for a kidney infection or kidney stones rather than simple irritation.

Drink fluids normally unless a clinician has told you to restrict them, and avoid products that seem to irritate the area. Do not use leftover antibiotics: the correct treatment depends on the cause and may require a urine test or sexual-health testing. Note when the pain began, how often you pass urine, any change in smell or colour, and whether there is discharge or a new sexual partner. A clinician may use this history and an examination to choose treatment such as Antibiotic Treatment.

Seek urgent medical help for painful urination with a high temperature, shaking chills, vomiting, marked weakness, confusion, severe side or back pain, visible blood, or inability to pass urine. Prompt assessment is also appropriate during pregnancy, for children, or when symptoms follow a procedure involving the urinary tract. These features can signal infection spreading upwards, blockage, or another problem needing timely treatment.

Ask what tests are needed, whether the symptoms fit a bladder infection or another cause, and when results should be available. You can ask whether a sexual-health test is appropriate, what treatment to take if the test is negative, and which changes should prompt re assessment.