by See Ing Or -

Created on: July 11, 2008   Last Updated: July 16, 2008

Symptoms and treatment of urethritis
Urethritis is referring to the inflammation of the urethra by any cause. Urethra is the tube that carries the urine from the urinary bladder out to the external genitalia. Urethritis usually has a sudden onset. However it may last for a longer duration from few weeks to several months.
Symptoms of urethritis
The most common symptom is the sudden onset of painful urination with increase urinary frequency. The pain is of burning or stinging sensation while voiding urine. Other symptoms are:

1. Feeling of incomplete urination.
2. Lower abdomen discomfort.
3. Abnormal urethral discharge such as turbid, bloody, foul smelling or pus like.
4. Fever and chill.
The most common age group for urethritis is from 20 to 35 years old. Urethritis is highly related to sexual activity. Female is more commonly affected than male. The common causes of urethritis are:
A) Bacteria(E. coli, Chlamydia, Gonococcus),
B) Virus (herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus),
C) Candida or
D) Chemical irritation (sensitive to the contraceptive/spermicides jellies, foams or creams).
Treatment
The goal of treating urethritis is to improve symptoms, prevent the spread of disease, and to terminate the cause of infection.
If your symptoms are just painful urination with increase urinary frequency, you may wish to try to take analgesic and urine alkalizing medication from the pharmacy and drink plenty of fluid. You are advised to seek help from the doctor if the symptoms do not improve after a day of self medication. However when you develop fever or your urine is not clear, you should visit your family doctor immediately to get definitive treatment.
Majority of the non specific urethritis caused by trauma or chemical irritants is usually self limiting and will improve by avoiding the injury and symptomatic self medication.
It is important to note that person with urethritis should avoid sex or use barriers during sex while on treatment. The patient's sexual partner must be treated if the urethritis is of infectious cause. Once on antibiotics/antiviral medication, the full course should be completed. Incomplete treatment of urethritis can leads to chronic and recurrent urinary tract infection. It may also result in irreversible damage to the urethra, other urinary tract and also the genital organs.
Below are some possible complications of urethritis:
bladder infection, kidney infection,
narrowing of the urine channel in the penis (Urethral stricture),
prostate and testes infection,
infection of the cervix, ovaries, infertility, miscarriage and complications of pregnancy.
Those who wish to know more about urethritis before seeking medical help can seek the help of the internet and local library. Medline help link below is helpful. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000 439.htm)

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