Bladder pain could indicate anything from a minor infection to a serious medical condition such as cancer. Symptoms might range from discomfort in the lower abdomen to burning pain with urination.

Fortunately, bladder cancer is a rare disease, and bladder pain is typically not serious. However, that doesn’t mean you can just ignore it when you experience pain or pressure in your pelvis or lower abdomen caused by bladder problems. How to recognize whether the pain is serious or indicates a benign condition? It’s essential to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms like blood in your urine along with bladder pain.

Surprisingly, pain in the bladder could be even provoked by pelvic pain due to gynecologic conditions. Certain gastrointestinal problems can contribute to bladder pain as well. Here are some surprising causes of bladder pain you should know: 

1. Reproductive health problems 

Bladder pain in women might be provoked by thinning vaginal skin. The condition is also known as vaginal atrophy and typically occurs during menopause due to a drop in estrogen levels. Oral estrogen isn’t effective, however, a vaginal estrogen cream might help relieve dryness. Speak with your doc about your bladder pain and discomfort to identify the root cause. 

2. Interstitial cystitis 

About three million women in the U.S. suffer from pelvic pain caused by interstitial cystitis. Interstitial cystitis is a condition in which the bladder wall gets irritated and inflamed. Interstitial cystitis is a severe type of bladder pain syndrome.

Bladder pain caused by interstitial cystitis might range from tenderness to severe pain. Another common sign of the condition is bladder pain that worsens during menstruation.

Interstitial cystitis isn’t triggered by a urinary tract infection, but the symptoms might get worse if a person has both interstitial cystitis and a UTI. though the root cause isn’t fully understood, certain situations or factors might provoke flares in symptoms. These are chronic and acute stress, dietary changes, allergies, and taking certain drugs, among other things.

Interstitial cystitis is incurable. Treatment options focus on pain management and typically involve distending (stretching) the bladder, taking oral medications, physical therapy, and using electrical nerve stimulation to lower pain. Women with severe interstitial cystitis may require surgical intervention. 

3. Bladder cancer 

Luckily, bladder cancer is a quite rare cause of bladder pain, especially in women. The most common sign of bladder pain is blood in the urine. Some women might also feel a painful, burning sensation during urination. Treatment options for bladder cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Most people with bladder cancer require surgery to remove a tumor or tumors. 

4. Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are also known as bladder infections. In most cases, they affect women due to anatomy. The female urethra is located closer to areas that contain natural bacteria, like the anus and vagina. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), it’s shorter than a man’s urethra.

Bladder pain caused by UTIs can occur at any age. In young women, it’s a common sign of urinary tract infections, as well as cloudy urine, and frequent and painful urination. Symptoms in older women can differ, however, they often include muscle pain, abdominal pain, constant fatigue, and weakness.

It’s essential to visit the doc since UTIs require treatment with antibiotics. These include Macrobid (nitrofurantoin) or Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole). 

Although urinary tract infections might go away without any treatment, antibiotics can speed healing and quickly eliminate uncomfortable symptoms. Consuming extra fluids and urinating frequently can also help treat the infection faster.