There Are Many Causes of Urinary Retention
Patients who are unable to empty their bladders completely are struggling with urinary retention. Acute retention happens suddenly and patients are generally unable to urinate even if they have a full bladder, resulting in severe pain. This is a life threatening emergency that requires immediate treatment. Chronic urinary retention can last for longer periods of time and is more common in men than women. Patients can urinate but are not able to empty completely. Many are not aware that they have urinary retention until other common symptoms occur, such as incontinence or urinary tract infection. Urinary retention can be the result of obstruction of the urethra (benign prostatic hyperplasia, strictures, stones, cystocele, rectocele, constipation), from nerve dysfunction or damage (childbirth, diabetes, stroke, MS, spinal cord or pelvic injury), as a side effect to some medications (antihistamines, antispasmodics, antidepressants, decongestants and more) or weakened bladder muscles due to aging. Up to 12% of men and 5% of women will develop a urinary stone by the age of 70.