Urinary retention is a condition in which you cannot empty all the urine from your bladder. This can happen to both men and women and it can be caused by things like blockages, medications, or nerve issues. Note that the acute form of urinary retention is an emergency. In this case, you will need to see a healthcare provider right away.
Symptoms of Acute Urinary Retention
- Inability to urinate
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Urgent need to urinate
- Swelling of the lower abdomen
Symptoms of Chronic Urinary Retention
- The inability to completely empty your bladder when urinating
- Difficulty starting the flow of the urine
- Frequent urination in small amounts
- Slow urine stream or feeling the need to urinate after finishing urination
- Lower abdominal pain or discomfort
What are the Causes of Urinary Retention?
- Medications. Urinary retention is typically caused by certain medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, hormonal agents, and muscle relaxants.
- Nerve issues. Passing your urine happens when the brain tells the bladder muscle to tighten and squeezes urine from the bladder. Anything that gets in the way of the path from the brain to the nerves that go to the bladder and the urethra can also cause this problem.
- Blockage. When something blocks the free flow of urine through the bladder and urethra, you might experience urinary retention. In men, a blockage can be caused when the prostate gland gets so big that it presses on the urethra. One cause in women is a bladder that sags.
- Infections and swelling. In men, prostate infections can lead to swelling and causes the urethra to block the flow of the urine. A urinary tract infection can cause swelling of the urethra or weakness of the bladder, both of which can cause urinary retention.
- Surgery. After surgery, you may experience urinary retention from sleep medications given before and during surgery to make you sleepy. Surgery for hip replacements, spine surgeries, rectal surgeries, pelvic surgeries, and hemorrhoids surgery can lead to this problem afterward.
Treatment for Urinary Retention
Treatment for urinary retention can depend on whether you have the acute form or the chronic form. For the acute form, a catheter is put into the urethra to drain the bladder. Treatment of the chronic form will depend on the cause. For men with enlarged, prostate doctors often recommend medication to counter the enlargement.
For a urethral stricture, opening the scar tissue in the urethra with catheters and balloons may be tried. If the retention is due to a nerve-related issue, you may need to use a catheter on yourself at home. For women with cystocele or rectocele as the cause, mild or moderate cases may be treated with exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
Tamsulosin or Urimax for Urinary Retention Treatment
Urimax is an alpha-blocker drug that is used in treating an enlarged prostate in men. It contains an ingredient that makes the muscle relax in the prostate bladder neck making it easier to urinate. Urimax helps to relieve the symptoms such as difficulty urinating and a need to urinate.