Female Urinary Retention

When a woman’s bladder is full, the brain receives a message letting it know to instruct the bladder muscles to squeeze out the urine.  Sometimes though, the nerves aren’t working right and the message is never sent or there is an obstruction causing urine to be retained.  This is Female Urinary Retention-urine being retained in your bladder for various reasons.

Is This Condition Painful?

Often, Female Urinary Retention can be quite painful when it is acute and causes much discomfort including the need to urinate without success.  When this condition is chronic, the symptoms are constant and mild compared to acute but can be disruptive to your lifestyle and comfort.  Often, you have a difficult time to begin urination, then the flow can be weak and leaving you feeling like you still need to go even though you are finished.

Do I Need to See a Specialist for Diagnosis?

Yes!  Always seek out a urologist to diagnosis this condition.  Your urologist will use various methods to help him/her to diagnose your condition to find the most effective treatment for your unique health status.  It is very important for you to keep a diary of how often you urinate, how you feel (need to urinate remaining, pain, etc.), any other symptoms and always bring along a list of current medications and supplements you might be taking, briefly speaking, be prepared before going to visit your doctor!

Testing for Female Urinary Retention

Tests may include...

• A simple urine sample which may reveal an infection that could be the cause of the urinary retention.

• Cystoscope Technology
• Bladder scan, which is an ultrasound device that can detect how much urine is in your bladder.  You will then be asked to urinate and empty your bladder and another scan will be performed to determine if urine is remaining.
• Cystoscope technology can be used to help your urologist see inside your bladder and urethra.
• Xray or CT scans are more tradition and can help find obstructions or if the bladder has been pushed out of position.
• Urodynamic tests will help your urologist study the pressure and flow of your urine.

Is There a Treatment?

There exists both short term and long term treatments.  To bring immediate relief, your urologist might insert a catheter to drain the bladder to avoid any permanent damage.  Your bladder can get stretched out of shape, thus causing damage.  Remember when your grandmother used to tell you not to hold it when you were little or it will cause problems?  She was right!  Long-term treatments will be unique to meet the needs of your health.

Do I Really Need To Have This Condition Treated?

Absolutely.  If this condition goes untreated you can permanently stretch out your bladder, in addition to damaging your bladder to the point that the muscle will loose it’s ability to contract.  Urine can also back up into your kidneys causing infection and permanent kidney damage.  In addition, it can lead to reduced kidney function and chronic disease that can escalate into loosing your kidney function and requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.  If you suspect you may have this condition, call your urologist immediately.