Do you sometimes find yourself needing to go to the bathroom shortly after having already gone? If you answered yes, you may be suffering from a medical problem called Incomplete Bladder Emptying or urinary retention - a condition where one is unable to completely empty their bladder.
In addition to the inconvenience and disruption of daily life, in the long run, urinary retention can lead to various complications and infections. For this reason, it is important for you to be aware of this problem, to know the ways in which you can check whether you suffer from it and learn the means of temporary relief until you receive professional advice from a specialist.
Despite its widespread commonality among the older population, urinary retention may occur among a wide range of people of all ages. The risk of getting the disease isn’t different between men and women, and is mainly caused by the natural aging processes, hormonal changes that affect the body's activity patterns, genetic defects inherited from generation to generation, spinal cord injury, pelvic trauma, muscular dystrophy and various neurological diseases.
Whatever the reason, in the long run, excess urinary retention may lead to serious infections of the bladder, urinary tract infections, and complications of renal function. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the feasibility of this medical problem and its consequences and tend to postpone being checked for it because of a lack of understanding of the condition they are suffering from. Although urinary retention requires a medical diagnosis, there are two simple and easy ways to check whether you suffer from it yourself.
Pressing the abdomen is a simple and easy test with which can be used to easily diagnose whether there is urine stored in your bladder. The test should be performed soon after you use the bathroom. Use both hands and apply mild to moderate pressure on the lower abdomen, just above the pelvic bones. If, after applying pressure, you feel an urge to urinate again, it is advisable to consult with a urologist for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
The next time you go to the bathroom, wait about 10 minutes and then try to relieve yourself again. If you urinate more than expected, it may be a sign of urinary retention.
First, it’s important to know that urinary retention is considered a medical problem that can lead to medical complications and therefore if suspected, it is important to schedule an appointment with a specialist to receive professional diagnosis and treatment. Until that appointment, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with several natural methods that can help relieve the various symptoms and temporarily prevent urinary tract infections:
A great way to prevent urinary and bladder infections is by adding flax seed to your daily diet. Besides being a good source of antioxidants and anti-bacterial components, flax seed has a beneficial effect that helps prevent infections and allows for easier urination.
Adding dandelion root tea to your diet may help with urinary tract infections. For centuries, folk medicine has made considerable use of this herb’s root as an effective treatment for various urinary and kidney disorders. Apart from its anti-inflammatory components, the dandelion root is considered to be a very strong diuretic that helps clean the entire system.
The leaves of the nettle plant have anti-inflammatory properties and a diuretic effect on the body, which help, among other things, in relieving bladder and kidney infections. The nettle plant can be added to your diet in the form of a tea, but it should be noted that drinking too much of this tea can have a laxative effect.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, saw palmetto is frequently used in complementary medicine against an enlarged prostate and to relieve bladder sensitivities. Saw palmetto can be taken as a pill, but be aware of its possible side effects and don’t stop treatment there, making sure to check the cause for prostate enlargement as quickly as possible.
Sarsaparilla is an herb used in homeopathic medicine taken in the form of a powder recommended for the treatment of bladder infections. Sarsaparilla has a calming effect that helps reduce burning sensation during urination.
If till now you didn’t know why you’re constantly in and out of the bathroom, now you have a name for your problem and how to temporarily treat it. Perform the tests described and schedule an appointment with a specialist if the results indicate urinary retention. You don’t have to live with the discomfort and shame, as we’ve already said, this is a very common problem, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t take care of it.
If you want to know more about urinary retention watch the following video which explains the causes of the problem, demonstrates the independent testing methods described in the article, and provides some useful tips:
Source: Alice Carrier, Sanjay Acharya, Bart Everson
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