- 1. Urinary infection
- 2. Painful bladder syndrome
- 3. Neurogenic bladder
- 4. Inflammation of the bladder
- 5. Kidney stone
- Can bladder pain be pregnancy?
- Other causes of bladder pain
Bladder pain usually indicates urinary tract infection, some irritation caused by cysts or stones, but it can also be caused by some inflammation in the uterus or intestine. So, to know what is causing this pain, one should check if other symptoms are present such as blood in the urine, pain when urinating, fever or discharge in the vagina or penis, for example.
Treatment should always be indicated by the general practitioner but the gynecologist or urologist may also indicate the causes and the most suitable treatment for each situation.
The main causes and treatments for bladder pain are:
1. Urinary infection
Urinary tract infection can affect the bladder, urethra or, when more severe, the kidneys, being the most frequent cause of bladder pain. Usually, it is accompanied by other symptoms such as:
- Pain in the pelvis or bladder when urinating; Much urge to urinate, but leaving little amount; Urgent need to urinate; Presence of blood in the urine; Pain in the urethra or bladder during sexual intercourse; Low fever.
Although it is more frequent in women, it can also happen in men of all ages. In the presence of urinary tract infection symptoms, a urologist or gynecologist should be consulted, but if the consultation is going to take a long time, it is necessary to go to the emergency room for an evaluation with observation of the intimate region and urine examination. Learn better how to identify the symptoms of urinary tract infection.
How to treat: If the presence of an infection is confirmed, the doctor may recommend the use of antibiotics, such as Norfloxacino, Sulfa or Fosfomycin, for example. Analgesic remedies, like Paracetamol, or anti-inflammatory drugs, like Ibuprofen, can be used to relieve pain and discomfort. In addition, during recovery, it is important to drink about 2 liters of water a day and maintain good intimate hygiene. Cranberry tea is a great home remedy that can fight this infection naturally.
2. Painful bladder syndrome
Also known as interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome is an inflammation or irritation of the bladder wall of unclear cause, which can happen in both men and women. This syndrome can also cause signs and symptoms such as:
- Bladder pain; Burning or pain during urination; Difficulty urinating; Pain during intimate intercourse; Willingness to urinate several times a day and night.
These symptoms can have periods of improvement and worsening, and it is common to be mistaken for urinary tract infection, which means that the person can receive repeated treatments with antibiotics unnecessarily, therefore, one should think about this disease whenever there are persistent symptoms. and recurring.
In addition, in some people, these symptoms may appear or exacerbate with the consumption of substances such as cigarettes, coffee, alcohol, black tea, acidic foods or psychological causes.
How to treat: analgesic or anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to relieve symptoms, in addition to it being important to treat the causes of stress and anxiety, with psychotherapy or alternative therapies, such as meditation, and to avoid the use of substances that trigger crises. See more details on how to identify and treat interstitial cystitis.
3. Neurogenic bladder
The neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction in the ability to relax and contract the bladder and urinary tract, caused by neurological diseases, which causes urinary incontinence, a feeling of incomplete emptying in the urine and, in many cases, pain in the belly.
It can be hypoactive, in which the bladder cannot voluntarily contract, and accumulates urine, or hyperactive, in which the bladder contracts easily, causing urgency to urinate at inappropriate times, being more common in women.
How to treat: the neurogenic bladder is treated according to the cause and the symptoms reported by each person, and it may be necessary to undergo physical therapy, use of medications such as oxybutynin or tolterodine, bladder catheter passage or, in some cases, surgical procedure. Better understand the causes, how to identify and treat the overactive bladder.
4. Inflammation of the bladder
Bladder pain can be caused by some type of inflammation in this organ, which may be caused by conditions such as:
- Bladder endometriosis, caused by uterine tissue implants in the bladder, which causes chronic and severe pain, worsening in the premenstrual period; Use of medications, such as some chemotherapeutic drugs, which can cause bladder tissue irritation; Use of bladder catheter by long time; immunological causes, in which there is a self-aggression of the bladder cells; cancer in the bladder, which causes lesions in the region.
In addition, changes in the prostate, in the case of men, can be an important cause of pain in this region, due to inflammation, infections or tumor of this organ.
How to treat it: inflammation of the bladder should be treated according to its cause, and the symptoms should be relieved with analgesics and anti-inflammatories, and then discuss with the doctor about the possibilities of treatment, such as surgical procedure or medication.
5. Kidney stone
The stone can be installed in any region of the urinary tract, and can be at the level of the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. It can cause pain when moving or impact on some region of the urinary tract, which is usually of high intensity, and can be associated with the presence of bleeding in the urine and nausea.
How to treat: the urologist will indicate the appropriate treatment, according to the size and location of the stone, which may be with observation or surgery. It is important to hydrate yourself by drinking about 2 liters of water a day, to facilitate the expulsion of the stone and make possible possible kidney complications. Here are some home remedies for kidney stones.
Can bladder pain be pregnancy?
Generally bladder pain does not indicate pregnancy, however, every pregnant woman is more likely to develop urinary tract infection at this stage, which is why it is common to associate bladder pain with pregnancy. However, urinary tract infections in pregnancy do not usually arise before a woman finds out she is pregnant, being a later change.
When the pregnant woman feels pain in the bladder this is a symptom that is mainly due to the bodily changes that the woman undergoes during this period, which is more common at the end of pregnancy, mainly due to the pressure that the enlarged uterus puts on the organs of the pelvis.
In addition, due to increased production of the hormone progesterone, the bladder becomes more relaxed and may contain more urine, which together with the weight of the uterus on the bladder can cause discomfort when urinating or bladder pain during the day. As the urine is richer in protein, the pregnant woman is also more willing to develop a urinary tract infection and thus feel bladder pain.
How to treat: To reduce or avoid bladder pain during pregnancy, the pregnant woman should drink a lot of water, wear comfortable clothes and cotton, maintain good hygiene of the intimate area and get enough rest during the day to avoid stress.
Other causes of bladder pain
Inflammations in the organs of the region in the pelvis can cause abdominal pain and radiate to other places, which can give the sensation of pain in the bladder. Some of the main causes are:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease, caused by infections in the vagina and uterus; Endometriosis of other organs of the pelvis, such as tubes, ovaries, intestines and peritoneum; Bowel diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome; Abdominal cramps, caused by menstruation or pregnancy Inflammation of muscles or joints of the pelvis.
These causes will be investigated in case of bladder pain that was not justified by other more likely causes such as bladder infection, calculus or inflammation, and the diagnosis can be made by the urologist or gynecologist.
