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Non-STI Burning at the Tip of Urethra: 6 Causes for it
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13 Oct 2023 |

Non-STI Burning at the Tip of Urethra: 6 Causes for it

Do you feel burning at the tip of urethra? If yes, then it denotes urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted diseases which can be chlamydia or gonorrhoea. Urethra is a tube which runs from the bladder through the penis in males. For females, it runs from bladder through the pelvis. The urethra will carry urine from the bladder outside your bodyThe common causes include UTIs and non-STI-related inflammation of urethra which is called urethritis.

Causes

Mostly, the burning at the tip of urethra occurs from bacteria that enter into the urethra. Here are some causes for it:

UTI

When you have urinary tract infection or UTI, the bacteria makes their way to the bladder where they will multiply and then spread through urinary system of your body. Some people might develop a UTI after anal, oral or vaginal sex which can expose urethra to bacteria.

Females can possibly get an UTI when it is being compared to men as urethra is shorter than men. Any kind of bacteria which enters urethra requires travelling a short distance before reaching bladder where it spreads through the urinary tract.

Urethritis

Urethritis or inflammation of urethra occurs due to an STI. But the irritation of the tip of urethra may lead to urethritis. Common irritants are the following:

  • deodorants
  • spermicides
  • soaps
  • lotions

Improper hygiene may be the reason for urethritis. It can be caused due to physical damage to your urethra from masturbation, intercourse or medical procedures like insertion of catheter.

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys and shift through the urinary tract. Kidney stones happen due to dehydration, infection or improper diet, or infection. Genetics has an important role in whether or not a person has kidney stones.

Sometimes these stones make it to the tip of the urethra during urination. These can be painful to pass, particularly if they are large in size.

Urethral stricture

Urethral stricture, also known as scarring, narrows urethra and may lead to infection or inflammation that causes burning sensation at the tip. Some causes of the buildup of scar tissue in the urethra are:

  • use of catheter for a long time
  • enlarged prostate gland
  • trauma to the urethra or pelvis
  • medical procedures such as endoscopy
  • prostate and radiation therapy
  • surgery to remove enlarged prostate gland
  • cancer in the urethra

Prostatitis

For men, prostatitis or swelling of the prostate gland may be the reason for burning at the tip of urethra. But some males may develop prostatitis due to a bacterial infection or nerve damage into the lower urinary tract.

Prostate cancer treatment

Some kinds of treatment for prostate cancer may lead to burning sensation into the urethra. As per studies, 16 percent of the survivors of prostate cancer suffer from pain in the urethra five years after the last treatment. Most males experiencing urethra pain had obtained brachytherapy that delivers radiation directly into a tumor.

Other symptoms

Here are some symptoms you may expect when you suffer from burning sensation in the tip of your urethra:

UTI

Some symptoms of a UTI consist of the following:

  • urine is cloudy in colour
  • pain in your pelvis for females
  • frequent need to urinate
  • passing small amounts of urine
  • strong-smelling urine
  • urine that is brown or reddish

UTIs affecting specific parts of the urinary system may cause other symptoms such as:

  • urethral discharge
  • nausea
  • pressure in the abdomen
  • pain in the upper back and side
  • chills
  • vomiting
  • high fever

Urethritis

Females with urethritis do not show any symptoms but males will probably reveal the signs within days to a month after the infection, or any exposure to irritants.

Common symptom can be pus which comes out of penis or urethra which gets smelly. Males having urethritis may suffer from swelling and pain in either one or both of the testicles and some kind of irritation in the penis.

Kidney stones

Other symptoms of kidney stones are the following:

  • nausea
  • pain moving in your groin and lower abdomen
  • vomiting
  • strong pain in the back and side
  • cloudy urine
  • foul-smelling urine
  • pain when you urinate
  • chills and fever
  • frequent urge to urinate
  • urinating in small or large amounts
  • brown or reddish urine
  • pain coming in waves and different intensity levels

Urethral stricture

Urethral stricture is common in males than females. Other symptoms are the following:

  • urinary tract infection
  • weakened urine stream
  • straining during urination
  • increased need to urinate
  • spraying at the time of urination
  • inability for emptying bladder completely

Prostatitis

Other symptoms of prostatitis consist of the following:

  • cloudy urine
  • reddish or brown blood in urine
  • difficulty urinating
  • pain in the groin, lower back or abdomen
  • flu-like symptoms
  • urgent need to urinate
  • pain when ejaculating
  • pain or irritation in the penis or testicles
  • frequent urination, especially during the night
  • perineum area pain between scrotum and rectum

Prostate cancer treatment

Some side effects of prostate cancer treatments are:

  • breast growth
  • fatigue
  • hot flushes
  • loss of libido
  • bowel problems
  • difficulty getting an erection
  • dry orgasms
  • mood swings
  • osteoporosis
  • heart problems
  • infertility
  • urine leakage and problems

Can it be a sexually transmitted infection?

The common STIs to cause burning at the tip of the urethra are chlamydia and gonorrhea. But there is a less-known STI that can lead to the symptoms known as non-gonococcal urethritis or NGU. This common STI leads to inflammation of the urethra and burning sensation. Females usually do not face these symptoms while males may experience:

  • white or cloudy discharge from penis tip
  • discomfort or burning during urination
  • soreness or irritation at the tip of the penis

Diagnosis

The doctor asks some questions to understand your medical history. He/she will enquire about sexual past and if or not anybody in your family suffered from kidney stones.

He will conduct a physical examination to detect for signs of infection like fever. Then he will probably run some diagnostic tests to check for any abnormal results that may point them an answer. Some of these include:

  • pelvic ultrasound
  • urine tests or urinalysis
  • urinary flow test
  • cystoscopy by looking at bladder and urethra with a camera
  • retrograde urethrogram to perform X-rays and look at the urethra
  • pelvic MRI
  • urethral ultrasound

Based on the diagnosis, he may refer you to a specialist such as gynecologist or obstetrician for treating the cause of your symptoms.

Diagnosis for Burning at the Tip of Urethra

Treatments

The treatment for burning sensation at the tip of the urethra will differ based on the cause.

UTI

You are given a course of antibiotics or may remain at the hospital for your intravenous antibiotics when you suffer from severe infection.

Urethritis

You have to take antibiotics course when there is an infection. You may take medications to get rid of pain as long as you do not have other problems such as liver disease, ulcer, kidney disease or take medications for thinning blood. Your doctor might tell to:

  • avoid masturbation or intercourse for at least a few weeks
  • remove a catheter
  • maintain healthy hygiene practices
  • practice protected and safe sex to prevent urethritis cases in future
  • stop using irritation products

Kidney stones

For small stones, the treatment includes:

  • alpha blocker medication which the doctor prescribes to pass your kidney stone
  • drinking lots of water
  • taking some pain relievers
  • removing stones in the kidney or urethra

For larger stones, the doctor may ask for:

  • surgery to remove stones from your kidney
  • using sound waves to break up stones
  • surgery to lessen activity of parathyroid gland which may lead to the formation of kidney stones

Urethral stricture

Several things can be done to prevent this condition which includes:

  • urethroplasty endoscopic urethrotomy
  • catheterization
  • endoscopic urethrotomy
  • dilation
  • implanted stent or permanent catheter

Prostatitis

Certain medications can help in this regard which are:

  • taking antibiotics
  • alpha blockers for relaxing bladder and easing pain
  • anti-inflammatory drugs
  • prostate cancer treatment

Prostate Cancer Treatment

If your doctor suggest, then you can pause the treatment for prostate cancer. Find out appropriate treatment and anti-inflammatory medicines for the disease.

Summing Up

When there is burning at the tip of urethra, this is generally a cause for concern whether or not it has occurred from an STI. If the symptoms seem to last for more than a few days, or have other unusual symptoms, then it is advised to see a doctor immediately from your nearest private STI clinic.

For burning at the tip of urethra accompanied with extreme pain at the back, sides, abdomen and you have nausea, fever or chills, seek emergency help to find out signs of severe infection.