Urethral Burning & Interstitial Cystitis
IC Self Help, Support, Consumer Awareness 1 Comment »When someone calls our office struggling with urethral burning, we usually go over five potential contributing factors. I thought that it would be nice to include these here as well!
(1) UTI
This is always worth mentioning because IC patients do get infections and the one typical symptom of a UTI is that sharp, burning sensation that occurs DURING urination. So, if you find that you’re biting your lip as you start to pee, it’s helpful to rule out infection… even with a home UTI kit.
(2) Paraurethral Gland Infection
Your urethra is roughly the size and width of your pinkie finger. About halfway up the urethra is a small, spongy gland that kind of wraps around the urethra that we call the paraurethral or periurethral gland. It’s a ‘homologue’ to the male prostate gland which means that it’s identical in cell structure to the male prostate. And, like the prostate gland, it’s known for becoming stagnant and infected. I’ve personally worked with several patients who have had urethral pain due to infections that had to be drained. They can often be felt as small bumps, roughly the size of a small pea, near the base & front of the vagina . Here’s an article that might be helpful: http://www.ic-network.com/newsroom/796.html
(3) Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor muscle spasms or tension have a “burning” quality to the pain. When I have a bladder spasm or strong pelvic floor spasm, I often feel a burning sensation in the vagina almost like a yeast infection. Others have experienced symptoms closer to their urethra. If you haven’t had a pelvic floor assessment, it might be worth doing so we know that many IC patients struggle with tight, tender, burning muscles. PFD is VERY treatable! We have a great new CD from the WISH program at Beaumont Hospital (MI) for women with pelvic pain that you might find helpful. http://www.icnsales.com/Guided-Image…ain-p-104.html
(4) Urine Burn
If your urine feels hot and that it’s burning the tissues outside of your urethra (i.e. the vulva), we call this “urine burn” and you’re not alone. This is very common and that burning sensation is really more a sign of irritation. It can be dramatically reduced by spraying cool or room temperature water on your urethra/vulva during and after urination. We have some periwash bottles in our shop at: http://www.icnsales.com. Look under restroom supplies. They’re like $2.99. Just fill with water (no other chemicals please) and rinse each time you use the restroom. It works amazingly well!
(5) Chemical SensitivityIf I put on a pair of underwear washed in Cheer or Tide, within five minutes I’ll have vulvar and urethral discomfort and burning. Really!! I think it’s because our nerves have become more sensitized and thus vulnerable to chemicals & stimulation. We’ve got two great articles on this in our patient handbook that you might want to review. The most gentle bath soaps are either Basis or Dove bars of soap… or the Very Private Body Wash. For the laundry detergent, we suggest either Ivory Snow or Dreft and always rinse twice to get any and all soap residue off of your clothes. Also, you shouldn’t be using any fabric softeners or products that make your laundry smell better. These are very irritating to the crotch area.
IC Self Help Strategies - http://www.ic-network.com/handbook/slfhlp.html#soaps
The Case of the Poison Underwear - http://www.ic-network.com/handbook/selfhelp1005.html
Just a few ideas worth considering!
Jill
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