Dysuria (Pain with Urinating)

Author: Marisa Healy, BSN, RN
Content Contributor: Allyson Van Horn, MPH
Last Reviewed: July 26, 2024

What is dysuria?

Dysuria is pain or burning when urinating (peeing) or having trouble urinating. You can have dysuria when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or inflammation. It can be caused by some chemotherapies. It can also be caused by radiation therapy when the treatment area includes the ureters, bladder, or urethra.

How is dysuria treated?

Dysuria can be treated by:

  • Drinking more water.
  • Treating the infection if you have one. Your care team will test a sample of your urine to see if there is an infection.

When should I call my care team?

If you are having pain or trouble urinating, call your care provider. Your care team will be able to work with you to figure out what is causing it and what treatment you need.

American Family Physician. Dysuria: Evaluation and Differential Diagnosis in Adults. 2015.

King CR, Brooks JD, Gill H, Presti JC, Jr. Long-term outcomes from a prospective trial of stereotactic body radiotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 2012;82(2):877-82.

Mercadante S, Ferrera P, Casuccio A. Prevalence of opioid-related dysuria in patients with advanced cancer having pain. The American journal of hospice & palliative care. 2011;28(1):27-30.

Szynglarewicz B, Zietek M, Forgacz J, Kornafel J, Pieniazek M, Maciejczyk A, et al. Urinary complications in rectal cancer patients are related to the dissection tool. Hepato-gastroenterology. 2012;59(115):724-6.

Vaz AF, Conde DM, Costa-Paiva L, Morais SS, Esteves SB, Pinto-Neto AM. Quality of life and adverse events after radiotherapy in gynecologic cancer survivors: a cohort study. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics. 2011;284(6):1523-31.

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