Why do I feel itchy urethra?

The structure of female urethra is different from that of male urethra. Female urethra is close to vagina. Many women usually neglect to clean the urethra, so sometimes the urethra will feel itchy or even painful. So what causes urethral itching?

The cause of urethral itching is the same as the cause of non-gonococcal urethritis. There are many pathogens that cause non-gonococcal urethritis. It is mainly caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urea. In addition to the above two pathogens, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Trichomonas, herpes simplex virus, etc. can also cause non-gonococcal urethritis. When two sexes come into contact, pathogens invade the healthy human body through the skin and mucous membranes and cause infection.

Urethritis is a common disease, which is clinically divided into acute and chronic, nonspecific urethritis and gonococcal urethritis. The latter two have similar clinical manifestations and must be differentiated based on medical history and bacteriological examination. The main pathogens of nonspecific urethritis are Escherichia coli, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, and mixed infections are often present. The main symptoms of male urethritis are excessive urethral discharge, frequent urination, and a burning sensation during urination, resulting in difficulty urinating.

The symptoms of male urethritis include: purulent secretions in the urethra, which are mucous at first and gradually become purulent, accompanied by redness and swelling of the urethral orifice, mucosal eversion, urgency, frequency, pain, urethral stinging, mental depression, and in severe cases, chills, high fever, and difficulty urinating. Patients with chronic urethritis will have less secretions, and symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, and urgency will be alleviated during non-acute attacks, accompanied only by itching or a crawling sensation, and some patients may be asymptomatic. It is often easily overlooked and misdiagnosed.

If male urethritis is not treated or is treated improperly, certain complications may occur. For example, patients with gonorrhea may develop paraurethral glanditis, posterior urethritis, and later urethral stenosis. Therefore, patients should be diagnosed and treated promptly.