Urinary retention happens when the bladder does not empty completely, leaving the person with a frequent urge to urinate.
Urinary retention can be acute or chronic and can affect both sexes, being more common in men, generating symptoms such as constant urge to urinate, pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
Treatment can be performed by placing a catheter or stent , administering mediations and in more severe cases, surgery may be necessary.
What symptoms
Usually, urinary retention causes symptoms such as frequent urge to urinate, pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
If urinary retention is acute, the symptoms appear suddenly and the person is unable to urinate, and should be attended to immediately, if it is chronic, the symptoms appear slowly and the person is able to urinate, but does not have the ability to empty the bladder completely. In addition, the person may still experience difficulty when he begins to urinate, the stream of urine may not be continuous and urinary incontinence may occur. Clarify all doubts about urinary incontinence.
Possible causes
Urinary retention can be caused by:
- Obstruction, which can occur due to the presence of stones in the urinary tract, constriction of the urethra, tumor in the region, severe constipation or inflammation of the urethra; Use of medications that can alter the functioning of the urinary sphincter, such as antihistamines, muscle relaxants, medicines for urinary incontinence, some antipsychotics and antidepressants, among others; Neurological problems, such as stroke, brain or spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease; Urinary tract infection; Some types of surgery.
In men, there are other factors that can cause urinary retention, such as obstruction due to phimosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. Find out what diseases can affect the prostate.
In women, urinary retention can also be caused by cancer of the uterus, uterine prolapse and vulvovaginitis.
What is the diagnosis
The diagnosis consists of analyzing urine samples, determining the residual volume of urine and performing tests such as ultrasound, computed tomography, urodynamic tests and electromyography.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of acute urinary retention consists of placing a catheter in the bladder to be able to eliminate the urine and relieve symptoms at the time, then the cause that caused the problem should be treated.
To treat chronic urinary retention, the doctor can place a catheter or stent in the bladder, remove the causative agent from the obstruction, prescribe antibiotics in case of an infection or medications that promote relaxation of the smooth muscles of the prostate and urethra.
If the treatment is not effective in relieving symptoms, surgery may be necessary.
