Urethra stinging and itching when urinating

If women experience stinging and itching in their urethra when urinating, it may be because of the stimulation of female hormones on the bladder and urethral mucosa. Therefore, if the tension in the urethral opening decreases, resulting in frequent and painful urination, patients need to seek medical treatment in a timely manner. The stinging and itching in the urethra when urinating may also be caused by gynecological diseases and bladder atrophy. It is best to use B-ultrasound to check the vaginal environment.

1. Estrogen plays an important role in the growth of bladder and urethral mucosa. Low estrogen levels can weaken the resistance of bladder and urethral epithelium, making it easy to develop atrophic urethritis, and cause symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, pain, and difficulty urinating. Low estrogen levels can also cause loss of urethral tension, protrusion of the posterior lip of the urethral opening, thinning of the mucosa and submucosa, surface congestion and edema, prone to recurrent urethral infections, formation of urethral caruncles, and even hematuria.

2. The vaginal mucosal epithelium atrophies, the epithelial glycogen decreases, and the production of lactobacilli decreases accordingly, which weakens the self-cleaning function of the vagina and makes senile vaginitis more likely to occur. At the same time, the female urethra is shorter, and low estrogen levels cause the urethral opening to shrink and pull upward into the vagina, closer to the vaginal entrance, making it easier for pathogens in the vagina to invade the urethra.

3. The bladder atrophies and its capacity is reduced by half. The patient will experience frequent urination, urgency, and incontinence.

4. Due to low estrogen levels, some patients lose tension in the perineum and pelvic floor tissues and relax various ligaments, which may lead to varying degrees of bulging of the anterior and posterior vaginal walls, or even uterine prolapse, which will affect bladder emptying, produce residual urine, and increase the chance of infection.

How to prevent urethral stinging and itching when women urinate

1. Drink plenty of water: The urine excreted by the kidneys flushes the bladder and urethra, which is beneficial to the excretion of bacteria. Drinking plenty of water every day and urinating every 2 to 3 hours can avoid the reproduction of bacteria in the urinary tract and reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections. This is the most practical and effective way to prevent urinary tract infections. During the onset or remission stage of the disease, drinking plenty of water every day is also beneficial to the recovery of the disease. Drinking tea or light bamboo leaves instead of tea also has a certain preventive effect.

2. Pay attention to personal hygiene: There are a large number of bacteria living in the female vulva and urethra, which is a prerequisite for urinary tract infection. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the cleanliness of your genitals, take a bath frequently, and do not use a pool or tub bath, and change your underwear frequently. This should be especially noted during the wedding, menstruation, pregnancy and postpartum period. Baby girls need to have their diapers changed frequently.

3. Try to avoid using urinary tract infection instruments and catheters: Urinary tract instruments can easily bring bacteria from the distal urethra into the bladder and upper urinary tract. Persistent bacteriuria is likely to occur after urinary tract catheterization. Therefore, their use should be avoided as much as possible. When it is necessary to use, it must be strictly disinfected. After 48 hours of use, urine culture should be performed to observe whether urinary tract infection occurs. Before using urinary tract instruments to examine patients who already have bacteriuria, it is advisable to control the infection first. Although some patients do not have bacterial urine at the time, they have a history of recurrent urinary tract infections or urinary tract abnormalities. They should take antibiotics during the urinary tract examination or 48 hours before and after to prevent infection. Giving antibiotics during the first three days of indwelling catheterization can prevent or delay the onset of urinary tract infection, but giving them after three days has no preventive effect. In addition, a closed drainage system connected to an indwelling urinary catheter can significantly reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection.