Urinary retention occurs due to the inability to empty the bladder, even if it is full. This condition is considered pathological and does not depend on the normal functioning of the kidneys. In medicine, this pathology is called "ischuria". A sudden condition is considered to be an acute manifestation of the disease, if the symptoms increase gradually, that is, it makes sense to talk about the chronic course of the disease.
Chronic urinary retention is characterized by the absence of a normal urine stream, or the inability to urinate at all. In addition, a person may experience frequent urge to urinate. One way or another, but emptying occurs, urine is excreted, although not in large volumes.
Acute urinary retention generally deprives a person of the opportunity to go a little even with a full bladder.
There is also such a thing as paradoxical ischuria. It occurs due to the constant overflow of the urea. In this case, the sphincters are stretched and urine is constantly excreted in drops.
Urinary retention in men can occur at any age, but most often the disease affects the representatives of the strong half, who have crossed the line of 50 years. This happens due to benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate adenoma.
If you are having difficulty emptying your bladder, be sure to see your doctor.
There are many reasons that interfere with normal urination. Among them are mechanical, neurological, infectious, and so on. Let's consider the reasons in more detail.
- Mechanical disorders are due to the lack of normal functioning of the nervous system, which causes inadequate work of the sphincter muscles - they are too relaxed or, conversely, tense. Accordingly, in the first case, urinary incontinence occurs, and in the second - its delay.
- neurological diseases. These include pathologies such as damaged spinal cord, diseases of the nervous system. This can negatively affect the excretion of urine from the body due to the fact that the nerves or their pathways are damaged.
- Conditions that can damage nerves and nerve pathways: labor, brain infections, diabetes, strokes, injuries, and so on.
- Enlarged prostate. This organ grows as a man matures. In this case, if hyperplasia occurs, the gland compresses the urethra and eventually a delay begins.
- Urinary tract infections. Due to infection, swelling, irritation and inflammation of the tissues begin, this leads to urinary retention.
- Taking medications. There are drugs that experts prescribe to slow down the transmission of nerve impulses. Such drugs can also adversely affect the excretion of urine from the body.
- . Often the cause of urinary retention is. The jet stops suddenly, often recurs, which further aggravates the disease.
- Urethral stricture. With this disease, the lumen of the urethra narrows due to scars that occur as a result of infections, injuries, and operations. Due to this narrowing, a normal outflow of urine is not possible.
Symptoms of urinary retention
With acute urinary retention, a man feels severe discomfort and experiences pain, which is most often localized at the site of blockage of the urinary tract. At the same time, an irresistible desire arises to go a little, but this can not be done. The abdomen is tense in the lower part and very painful when touched.
With chronic delay, the above-described pronounced discomfort and pain are absent. However, some uncomfortable sensations are constantly present, they can exhaust a person. The beginning of the act of urination is difficult, often in order to urinate, a man needs to tighten his press or press in the lower abdomen. But even this does not bring the desired relief - the jet is very weak and intermittent. After urination, there is a feeling of a full urea, which leads to new attempts to urinate. Because of all of the above, a man develops psychological problems and complexes.
Urinary retention in children
Urinary retention in a child in medicine has a specific name - ischuria. There are two varieties
- complete
- incomplete.
In the first case, emptying the urea is not possible even with a strong desire of the baby. In the second case, the urea is emptied, but not completely.
As in adults, in children the disease can be acute and chronic. The most common cause of the disease among boys is (the opening of the foreskin narrows). There is nothing to worry about if the child is not yet two years old. However, with infection against the background of phimosis, urinary retention may develop. How to understand that something is wrong with the child? Firstly, he will behave restlessly, become irritable, because the delay greatly affects the emotional sphere of the baby. You should be especially wary if the child is pushing during urination, but urine is dripping.
In both boys and girls, the disease can be associated with the formation of stones in the urea. In this case, the child may experience sharp pains in the lower abdomen.
At the first signs or suspicions of a disease, contact a pediatric urologist immediately!
Diagnosis and treatment
If you notice the appearance of any symptom, be sure to seek help from a specialist. Only a doctor is able to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the correct and adequate treatment.
According to age indications (after 40 years), a man should definitely be checked for the presence of prostatitis and adenoma. In addition, each patient will have to take urine and blood tests, and take a PSA test. If the doctor decides to perform surgery, then additional studies will be needed:
- Ultrasound of the urethra and prostate gland
- urodynamic tests
- cystoscopy
- x-ray and so on.
Urinary retention in men requires complex and structured treatment. The treatment differs between acute and chronic retention. If the disease proceeds in an acute form, then the doctor will first send the patient to drain the urea. During the procedure, a flexible catheter is placed in the urethra and inserted through the urethra. True, it is not always possible to do this. In these cases, it is required to install a special drainage system - a thin tube.
If the disease has taken a chronic course, then at first all efforts should be directed to finding out the true causes of urinary retention.
If the cause is urethral stricture, then you must first get rid of this disease. There are two methods for this - with the help of surgery or with the help of an endoscope. The doctor will choose the most appropriate method, based on the size of the stricture, its length.
If the cause is an adenoma. Medical or surgical treatment is prescribed. Tactics directly depends on the age of the patient.
Folk first aid kit
Urinary retention is also treated with folk remedies.
The principle of catheterization
If a person is experiencing severe pain on the background of the disease, you can try to alleviate his suffering in the following way. Take a pinch of horsetail, place the herb in a chamber pot and pour boiling water over it. You should sit on the potty for half an hour, and then be sure to lie under the covers and sweat. Repeat the procedure the next day. If there is no improvement, then add horsetail lotions to the “baths”, which should be applied to sore spots.