Understanding Urinary Tract & Bladder Pain: Causes & Symptoms

Urinary tract or bladder pain may be caused by conditions such as bladder cancer, interstitial cystitis (bladder infection), urinary tract infection, urethritis (infection of the urethra), urethral stricture and kidney stones.

Symptoms

• Urinary tract pain may be the result of a urinary tract infection (UTI). As much as 80 percent to 90 percent of UTIs are caused by E. coli, according to Estronaut. Symptoms can start suddenly with painful urination, frequent need to urinate and lower back pain.

More Symptoms

• According to WebMD, urinary tract pain may be the result of prostatitis (swelling or infection of the prostate gland) and epididymitis (inflammation and infection of the epididymis) in men.

Considerations

• Kidney stones may cause urinary tract or bladder pain. Some stones are so tiny they never cause pain as they pass from the kidneys to the bladder and out through the urethra. According to WebMD, kidney stones may cause severe pain in your lower abdominal area (side, groin or belly). In addition, you may become nauseous.

Potential

• Interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic condition that causes bladder pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, the pain may be mild to severe. An estimated one million Americans are affected by interstitial cystitis.

Treatment

• For infection, an appropriate antibiotic is prescribed. Phenazopyridine may be prescribed for relief of painful urination for the first two days. For serious conditions such as bladder cancer, the appropriate regimen will be offered.