Urinary Retention Treatment in Delhi, India

Acute urinary retention may include:

• Urinary incontinence
• A painful, immediate need to urinate
• Pain in the lower abdomen or discomfort
• Lower abdominal bloating

Chronic urinary retention may include:

• An interrupted urine stream
• Feeling a need to urinate after finishing urination
• Discomfort in the lower abdomen
• Urinating many times per day
• There may be difficulty starting a urine stream while peeing.

Some patients with chronic urine retention may not experience symptoms that prompt them to seek medical attention. Patients unaware they have chronic urine retention are more likely to have difficulties.

Urinary retention can occur in both men and women, and it can be caused by factors like blockages, medications, or nerve issues. Causes might include:

• Any blockage in the way of urine might be a stone or prostate enlargement in men and urethral narrowing in women
• Medication consumption for other diseases.
• Nerve issues can interrupt how the brain, spinal cord and urinary system communicate.
• Infections and swelling in the passage.
• Complications and side effects of medications of a surgical procedure.

Blockage

When the free flow of urine gets blocked through the bladder and urethra, one might experience urinary retention. In men, a blockage occurs when the prostate gland gets enlarged because of ageing or swelling by an infection in the prostate and presses heavily on the urethra. Urinary stones can also be a prominent reason that blocks the flow of urine.

Medications

The consumption of certain medications can also cause urinary retention. Drugs can change the way the bladder muscle works and can cause other side effects as well.

Nerve issues

When the brain tells the bladder muscle to tighten, urine passes. Urine gets squeezed inside the bladder. The brain then tells the muscle around the urethra to relax. Anything that chokes the pathway from the brain to the nerves and the bladder, and the urethra can also be a problem. Nerve issue occurs due to the following:

• Trauma
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Vaginal obstructed prolonged childbirth

Research suggests that urinary retention from nerve disease occurs at the same rate in men and women.

A doctor will first enquire about the symptoms and perform a physical test to determine urinary retention. The test may include:

• Physical exam: A physical examination of the lower abdomen detects the problem and guides the doctor about the precise treatment. In a physical exam, urine is saved and examined for any infection.
• Ultrasound: Here, bladder scanning measures the amount of urine in the bladder after urinating. An assessment of the prostate and kidney is also performed.
• Urodynamic testing: This test records the pressure within the bladder to know how well the bladder empties. The rate at which urine flows is also measured by such tests.
• EMG: It uses sensors to measure the electrical activity of the muscles and nerves near and inside the bladder and the urethral sphincter.
• PSA: Prostate Specific Antigen is a kind of blood test that screens for prostate cancer.
• Cystoscopy: It involves inserting a small tube with a tiny camera on one end into the urethra. The urethra and bladder linings are photographed. This image shows urethral scarring, a stone blockage, and an enlarged prostate.

The right treatment depends on the rightly researched cause. Some causes are easier to cure than others. Some treatments doctors recommend include:

• A therapy for pelvic dysfunction
• Changing medications
• A catheter to drain the bladder
• A surgical procedure to treat blocked or constricted urethra
• A stent inside the urethra to prevent future blockages
• A procedure to remove enlarged prostate tissue or growth by lasers
• Lifestyle changes include drinking enough water, urinating when the urge arises, and increased physical activity.

The treatment for urinary retention depends on the acute form or chronic form, as well as the root cause of the condition. In acute conditions, a catheter is put into the urethra to drain the bladder. At the same time, chronic condition depends on the cause.

• Treatments for urethral stricture: Surgery using a knife or laser is done to make a cut to open the scar through the urethra. Sometimes the scar tissue must be cut out and the urethra fixed with a surgery called a urethroplasty.
• Treatment for nerve issues: Under this condition, one needs to use a catheter on themselves at home.
• Treatments for women with urinary retention: Urinary retention is treated with exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscle in women. Surgery may be required to lift the sagging bladder/rectum in severe cases only.

The following are the ones who are at the most risk of suffering from urinary retention:

• Men, more than women
• Sexually active young men with recurrent prostatitis
• Men or women over the age of 50
• Shy bladder
• Men with prostatic hyperplasia
• Those who consume drugs/medicines with anticholinergic properties
• Those who have suffered certain muscle damage, neurological damage, Parkinson’s disease, substance abuse, cancer etc.
• Recurrent stone former

If any symptom of urinary retention is left untreated, it could lead to:

• Stretching of the bladder
• Prolonged pain
• Back pressure into the kidneys
• Renal failure
• Sepsis
• The acute problem of urinary retention
• Sweating
• Anxiety
• High blood pressure

Diagnosing acute or chronic urinary retention is easy, especially when contacting the doctor on time after noticing gradual changes in the urination cycle. However, treating urinary retention requires both long-term and short-term treatment because various sets of treatments may be used to manage the symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.