Have the urge to pee but can't pass urine? This may be due to urinary retention. If not treated properly, this condition can be painful and uncomfortable for the sufferer.
Urinary retention is a bladder disorder that makes it difficult for the sufferer to pass urine or urinate. Sometimes urinary retention can also cause complaints in the form of incomplete urination. This condition can be experienced by anyone, although it tends to be more experienced by men than women.
If you experience urinary retention, this condition needs to be checked by a doctor immediately so that it can be treated appropriately according to the cause.
Causes of Urine Retention
Urinary retention can be caused by many factors, namely:
1. Blockage of the urinary tract
Various things that block the flow of urine from the bladder to the urinary tract can cause urinary retention. In men, this condition is often caused by an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. While in women, blockage of the flow of urine is often caused by a descending bladder.
In addition, several other disorders, such as bladder or urinary tract stones, bladder cancer, and urethral stricture or scar tissue formation in the urinary tract, can also cause urinary retention.
2. Nervous system disorders
Urination occurs when the brain sends a signal to the bladder for the bladder muscles to work to expel urine from the body. If there is a disturbance in the bladder or brain nerves, this process will be disrupted and cause difficulty urinating.
Disruption of the nervous system connected to the bladder can be caused by several conditions, such as stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, paralysis, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.
3. History operation
Surgery on the bladder or prostate can cause scar tissue to form in or around the urinary tract. When scar tissue forms in the urinary tract and blocks it, the flow of urine becomes impeded. The bigger the blockage, the higher the risk for urinary retention.
Not only bladder and prostate surgery, urinary retention can also be caused by other surgical procedures, such as spine surgery and hip joint replacement surgery, side effects of anesthesia, and long operating times.
4. Drug side effects
In certain cases, urinary retention can be caused by the side effects of certain medications, such as muscle relaxants, antidepressants, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, the blood pressure-lowering drug nifedipine, asthma medications, and opioid painkillers.
These side effects are more risky if these drugs are consumed in the long term or in high doses.
5. Bladder muscle weakness
Bladder muscles that don't contract vigorously or for long can also cause urinary retention. Weakening of the bladder muscle can be caused by aging (over 50 years of age) or long-term use of a urinary catheter.
6. Infection
In addition to the above factors, urinary retention can also occur due to prostate or urinary tract infections. The reason is, infection in both organs can cause swelling that makes the urinary tract obstructed, so that urine becomes difficult to expel.
Types of Urine Retention
Based on the duration of the occurrence, urinary retention is divided into two types, namely:
Acute urinary retention
Acute urinary retention is urinary retention that appears suddenly and is characterized by an urgent urge to urinate, but urine cannot come out. Acute urinary retention can occur within days to weeks.
This condition causes discomfort and pain in the lower abdomen. This condition needs to be treated by a doctor immediately because it can cause severe pain and dangerous complications if left untreated.
Chronic urinary retention
In contrast to acute urinary retention, chronic urinary retention appears gradually and persists for several months. Chronic urinary retention usually does not cause pain. The main symptom of chronic urinary retention is the urge to urinate more often, but only a small amount of urine is passed.
Chronic urinary retention is more common in people who have chronic diseases, such as stroke, diabetes, paralysis, or have decreased consciousness for a long time. In certain cases, chronic urinary retention can occur due to untreated acute urinary retention.
Management of Urine Retention
Treatment of urinary retention is not the same for each person, because it must be adjusted to the cause. Therefore, urinary retention needs to be checked by a doctor.
To find out the cause of urinary retention, the doctor will perform a physical examination along with supporting, such as blood and urine tests, cystoscopy, ultrasound, CT scan, and X-ray of the urinary tract (pyelography). To assess the severity of urinary retention, the doctor will also perform an examination of the urine flow rate (urodynamic test).
After the doctor knows the cause of urinary retention, the appropriate treatment steps can be taken. To treat this condition, the doctor will usually perform the following treatment steps:
Inserting a urinary catheter
To help remove urine from the bladder, the doctor may place a urinary catheter for some time.
However, if the urinary catheter is difficult or cannot be inserted, the doctor may perform a urinalysis procedure through a puncture or injection to aspirate urine through the patient's abdomen.
Giving medicine
Administration of drugs is adjusted to the cause of urinary retention. One drug that can be used to treat this condition is bethanechol. In addition, if it is caused by an enlarged prostate gland, the doctor may prescribe drugs to reduce the size of the prostate. To treat urinary tract infections, doctors can give antibiotics.
Doing operation
To treat urinary retention that does not improve with other treatment steps, the doctor may perform surgery on the bladder. This surgery can be performed in cases of urinary retention caused by bladder stones, urethral strictures, or prostate cancer and bladder cancer.
If you have difficulty urinating, you should immediately consult a urologist and avoid using over-the-counter constipation medications without a doctor's advice. Appropriate treatment can only be done if the doctor has confirmed the diagnosis of urinary retention and its causes.