Uncover the causes of a burning sensation between your legs. Meri Sehat provides insights into possible reasons and when to seek medical advice.

What The Burning Sensation Between Your Legs Could Be

Are you peeing a stream of pure fire? This is what might be going on.

Overview

There&rsquo;s nothing quite as bad as the burning sensation down there. All of us at some point have encountered this issue. Let&rsquo;s see what could be the reason your nether regions have decided to give you a tough time: 
&nbsp;

For Women

<ul>
	<li>Yeast Infection: The medical term for this is &lsquo;candidiasis&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s also called &lsquo;thrush&rsquo; and along with a burning sensation down there you might have soreness, itching and pain as well. You can get it due to several reasons such as being on hormonal contraception, having a compromised immune system, a recent course of antibiotics or <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/diabetes-type-1-and-2">diabetes</a>. In order to treat this, oral or topical antifungal treatment is used. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Bacterial Vaginosis: This happens when there is an overgrowth of certain bacteria in your vagina. Its accompanying symptoms include a white or gray discharge, strong fish-like odour, pain and itching. Antibiotics are prescribed. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): These are super common and we are all too familiar with these. UTIs usually present or appear as increased frequency and urgency to urinate along with cloudy urine and burning. This can clear up in as little as five days with antibiotics. Numbing agents can also be used to eliminate the burning along your urinary tract. &nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis can also lead to a burning sensation down there. Itchiness, soreness, redness, burning and foul smelling vaginal discharge are some characteristic symptoms of these. Once your doctor identifies the cause you&rsquo;ll be prescribed a course of antibiotics. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Irritation: Contact with certain substances can cause itching or stinging such as scented soaps, fabrics, perfumes, semen, feminine hygiene sprays and washes, douches and toilet paper etc. This is why it&rsquo;s important to only use lukewarm water to wash your private areas along with peeing and washing right after sex and making sure you wear breathable cotton panties. &nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Genital Herpes: This is another STI that comes with flu-like symptoms, swollen glands, itching, tingling sensation, pain while urinating, vaginal discharge as well as painful sores and blisters. The reason we mention this separately is because although these symptoms can be treated with antivirals, there is no actual cure for this. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Menopause: The gradual change in our hormonal levels as menopause develops can lead to quite a few symptoms such as night sweats, hot flushes, vaginal dryness and mood changes etc. The reason why burning happens as a result of menopause is because vaginal dryness can lead to UTIs and other infections. Similarly, vaginal atrophy means the walls of your vagina are now thin, dry and inflamed and it might get cuts and bruises. In order to manage this, Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) and topical estrogen creams are used. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Yeast Infection: The medical term for this is &lsquo;candidiasis&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s also called &lsquo;thrush&rsquo; and along with a burning sensation down there you might have soreness, itching and pain as well. You can get it due to several reasons such as being on hormonal contraception, having a compromised immune system, a recent course of antibiotics or diabetes. In order to treat this, oral or topical antifungal treatment is used. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Bacterial Vaginosis: This happens when there is an overgrowth of certain bacteria in your vagina. Its accompanying symptoms include a white or gray discharge, strong fish-like odour, pain and itching. Antibiotics are prescribed. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): These are super common and we are all too familiar with these. UTIs usually present or appear as increased frequency and urgency to urinate along with cloudy urine and burning. This can clear up in as little as five days with antibiotics. Numbing agents can also be used to eliminate the burning along your urinary tract. &nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis can also lead to a burning sensation down there. Itchiness, soreness, redness, burning and foul smelling vaginal discharge are some characteristic symptoms of these. Once your doctor identifies the cause you&rsquo;ll be prescribed a course of antibiotics. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Irritation: Contact with certain substances can cause itching or stinging such as scented soaps, fabrics, perfumes, semen, feminine hygiene sprays and washes, douches and toilet paper etc. This is why it&rsquo;s important to only use lukewarm water to wash your private areas along with peeing and washing right after sex and making sure you wear breathable cotton panties. &nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Genital Herpes: This is another STI that comes with flu-like symptoms, swollen glands, itching, tingling sensation, pain while urinating, vaginal discharge as well as painful sores and blisters. The reason we mention this separately is because although these symptoms can be treated with antivirals, there is no actual cure for this. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Menopause: The gradual change in our hormonal levels as menopause develops can lead to quite a few symptoms such as night sweats, hot flushes, vaginal dryness and mood changes etc. The reason why burning happens as a result of menopause is because vaginal dryness can lead to UTIs and other infections. Similarly, vaginal atrophy means the walls of your vagina are now thin, dry and inflamed and it might get cuts and bruises. In order to manage this, Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) and topical estrogen creams are used. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

For Men

<ul>
	<li>Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Although less common in men than women, UTIs do happen, especially in older age. The symptoms are similar to what we observe in women and so is the treatment. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Urethritis: This is an inflammation of the urethra which is the tube that transmits urine outside the body from your bladder. This is a bacterial infection and comes with symptoms such as redness around the ureteral opening, yellow discharge, bloody urine and penile itching. A course of antibiotics can promptly fix all this. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Yeast Infection: This can happen due to unprotected sexual intercourse between partners of opposite sex if the woman has a yeast infection. The common ways it presents is itchiness and rash on the penis and a white discharge along with a burning sensation. Topical or oral antifungals are the treatment of choice. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Prostatitis: This is an inflammation of the prostate gland which is a pea-sized gland that surrounds your urethra. Leakage of bacteria from the urine can lead to prostatitis and you may have difficulty urinating, increased frequency of urination, cloudy or bloody urine as well as painful ejaculation. Antibiotics are given to fix this along with alpha blockers to help ease discomfort. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Gonorrhea: This is an STI and can be acquired through unprotected intercourse. Burning micturition, pain or swelling of the testicles and pus-like discharge can occur if you have gonorrhea and a quick course of antibiotics is advised. Other STIs such as Chlamydia are usually asymptomatic in men. &nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Penile Cancer: A rare form of penile cancer can also lead to burning down there. If you have changes in the colour of your penis, thickening of the penile skin or a sore growth on the surface then this is likely the reason. Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery are the mainstays of treatment. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

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