How To Use Clean Urine For A Drug Test

Common Causes of Problems with Urination

CC-By/mohamed_hassan/pixabay

Urination is the body's filtration system. When toxic or otherwise unwanted substances pass through the kidneys, they are filtered out and exit the body through urine. Without urination, toxins build up, causing problems with the bladder and even kidney damage. It pays to familiarize yourself with the most common causes of problems with urination, why they occur, and what options are available for treatment if one of these issues should arise.

Urinary Hesitancy

Urinary hesitancy, or difficulty starting or maintaining a urine stream, is one of the most common problems with urination and can occur in all ages and genders. This condition typically goes unnoticed at first because the symptoms show slowly over time. You may experience difficulty starting or maintaining your urine stream, and then out of what seems like nowhere, you're unable to urinate at all. The inability to release urine leads to discomfort and swelling in the bladder, causing pain and discomfort.

While urinary hesitancy isn't tied to men exclusively, over 90% of men over their 40s experience some trouble urinating. This includes difficulty starting urination, weak urine stream, and pain while urinating. Common causes of urinary hesitancy in older men include an enlarged or infected prostate, while bladder infections often cause urinary hesitancy in both men and women. If an infection is the cause of urinary hesitancy, additional symptoms frequently occur, including:

More frequent urination Burning or pain with urination Cloudy urine Urinary urgency (the sudden, strong urge to urinate)

Other causes of urinary hesitancy include:

Nervous system disorders Scar tissue on or near the bladder tubing Pelvic spastic muscles Recent surgery Certain medications, including tricyclic antidepressants and cold and allergy medications

Tracking patterns in your urination and reporting any changes to your doctor can help prevent hesitancy from becoming a medical emergency. Applying heat to the lower abdomen area where the bladder is can help pass urine, as the heat helps to relax the bladder muscles. Lightly massaging the bladder during urination can help empty the bladder completely. If neither of these remedies helps, a warm shower or bath can stimulate urination. If you're unable to pass any urine or only a small amount over the course of two days, you should contact your doctor immediately. Serious symptoms that require immediate medical attention include shaking, chills, fever, vomiting, blood in the urine or unusual discharge.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections can happen to anyone, from the elderly to newborn babies. While more easily treated than urinary hesitancy, a urinary tract infection can lead to serious problems if left untreated. Commonly referred to as a urinary tract infection (UTI) this type of infection can affect any part of the urinary system, and the most common symptom is difficulty urinating. An infection within the kidneys or ureters, the urethra can cause a UTI, but the most common source is the lower urinary tract- the urethra and the bladder. Women are more likely to experience UTIs than men because bacteria can enter their urinary tracts more easily, but they occur in both genders. A urinary tract infection is often painful and can cause bloody or dark urine. Common causes of UTIs include:

Immune System Disorders: Conditions like diabetes and similar diseases that impair your immune can cause UTIs because they weaken the immune system and reduce the body's defense against germs. Urinary Tract Abnormalities: Certain conditions like kidney stones or enlarged prostate glands can block urine from leaving the bladder and cause UTIs. Abnormalities in the urinary tract system can also occur at birth. Babies can be born with abnormalities that prevent urine from leaving the body properly or cause the urine to move back up the urethra, leading to urinary tract infections. Catheters: A catheter is used when the patient is unable to pee on their own due to surgery, age, hospitalization, neurological problems or other causes. The body sees the catheter as a foreign object and treats it as an infection, leading to a UTI. Catheters also put you at risk for higher than normal amounts of bacteria entering the urinary tract.

If you experience UTIs often, there are steps you can take at home to help prevent UTIs. They include:

Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps you pee more easily and frequently. When you drink enough water, your body is able to flush out bacteria quicker, helping to remove them from your urinary tract before they can cause an infection. Wipe properly: Most people were taught to wipe from front to back for good reason. After a bowel movement or urinating, proper wiping prevents bacteria from the anal region spreading to the urethra, which can lead to infection. Avoid irritating products: Women especially should be wary of what they use by the genital area. Douches, powders, and even sprays designed for the genital area can cause UTIs by irritating the urethra. Urinate after intercourse: Bacteria can enter the urinary tract after intercourse, but urinating pushes the bacteria out before it can move farther up the urinary tract and cause infection.

While UTIs are often annoying, the good news is that they are easily treated. Antibiotics form the first line of treatment and typically clear up the condition quickly. They can be used either as a pill or a cream that's applied to the genital area. UTIs are typically not a cause for alarm, but when the infection is present for an extended period without treatment. it can lead to the infection spreading to other areas of the body. In severe cases, hospitalization may be required.

Problems with urination are painful, annoying, and sometimes even frightening. Both urinary hesitancy and urinary tract infections can make life difficult by re-occurring frequently, but by recognizing the symptoms early and taking action to treat them, these conditions do not need to be debilitating.