what-is-urinary-retention : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

 Urinary retention is the inability to empty the bladder completely. Urinary retention can be acute or chronic. Acute urinary retention happens suddenly and lasts only a short time. People with acute urinary retention cannot urinate at all, even though they have a full bladder. Acute urinary retention, a potentially life-threatening medical condition, requires immediate emergency treatment. Acute urinary retention can cause great discomfort or pain.

Chronic urinary retention can be a long-lasting medical condition. People with chronic urinary retention can urinate. However, they do not completely empty all of the urine from their bladders. Often people are not even aware they have this condition until they develop another problem, such as urinary incontinence—loss of bladder control, resulting in the accidental loss of urine—or a urinary tract infection (UTI), an illness caused by harmful bacteria growing in the urinary tract.

What are the symptoms of Urinary Retention?

The symptoms of acute urinary retention may include the following and require immediate medical attention:

• inability to urinate
• painful, urgent need to urinate
• pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen
• bloating of the lower abdomen

The symptoms of chronic urinary retention may include

• urinary frequency—urination eight or more times a day
• trouble beginning a urine stream
• a weak or an interrupted urine stream
• an urgent need to urinate with little success when trying to urinate
• feeling the need to urinate after finishing urination
• mild and constant discomfort in the lower abdomen and urinary tract

Some people with chronic urinary retention may not have symptoms that lead them to seek medical care. People who are unaware they have chronic urinary retention may have a higher chance of developing complications.

How is Urinary Retention diagnosed?

A health care provider diagnoses acute or chronic urinary retention with

• a physical exam
• postvoid residual measurement

A health care provider may use the following medical tests to help determine the cause of urinary retention:

• cystoscopy
• computerized tomography (CT) scans
• urodynamic tests
• electromyography

How is Urinary Retention treated?

A health care provider treats urinary retention with

• bladder drainage
• urethral dilation
• urethral stents
• prostate medications
• surgery

The type and length of treatment depend on the type and cause of urinary retention.