Urinary Retention

Urinary retention is the body’s inability to completely empty the bladder — it can be classed as either acute or chronic.

Acute urinary retention — comes on quite suddenly and can cause great discomfort or pain. With acute urinary retention, a person cannot urinate at all (even if they have a full bladder) and is a potentially life-threatening medical condition requiring immediate emergency treatment.

Chronic urinary retention — can be a long-lasting medical condition. People with chronic urinary retention can urinate, but they cannot completely empty all of the urine from their bladders. Sometimes, a person is not aware they have this condition until other problems present like Urinary Incontinence, or a Urinary Tract Infection.

Urinary retention can affect anyone. However, men in their fifties and sixties are more susceptible, primarily because of an enlarged prostate.

A woman can also be affected by urinary retention if she suffered from a condition called Cystocele, where the bladder starts to sag or moves out of its normal position. It can also be pulled out of position when the lower part of the colon starts to sag — a condition called Rectocele.

Urinary retention can be attributed to two causes — either obstruction or non-obstruction.

If there is an obstruction (for example, bladder or kidney stones), a blockage occurs and urine cannot flow unimpeded through your urinary track. This is the basis for acute urinary retention and is potentially life threatening. You must seek immediate emergency treatment.

Non-obstructive causes include a weakened bladder muscle and nerve problems that interfere with signals between your brain and the bladder. If the nerves aren’t working properly, your brain may not get the message that the bladder is full.

Obstructive urinary retention causes include:

Common causes of non-obstructive urinary retention are: