We all tend to overlook how comfortable we are when every part of our bodies works normally, and we don’t even have to think about our primary needs while exercising everyday activities. But, when a problem emerges, we are strongly reminded.
Like with any problem, urinary retention should be dealt with accordingly and in time so that it doesn’t progress into some bigger problem. And that is what this article is about – we will tell you how do you need to deal with urinary retention.
What Is Urinary Retention?
Urinary retention is basically a condition in which your bladder can’t be emptied completely even though it gets full and hence make you feel like you really have to urinate. So, in some cases, you will be able to urinate, but just not as much as you need to, and in some cases, you won’t be able to urinate at all.
This condition can affect pretty much anyone, but men are typically more susceptible to urinary retention, as well as older people in general. Statistics even say that after a man reaches the age of 80, the probability of him having this condition at least once is 30%.
Forms of Urinary Retention And Following Symptoms
While similar, the symptoms depend on the type of urinary retention. There are two forms of this condition – acute and chronic.
When it comes to acute urinary retention, the condition comes suddenly, in most cases, without any warnings. It causes a general feeling of discomfort since a person will feel like they need to go to the bathroom, but they aren’t able to urinate. After some time, this causes pain as well, primarily in your lower abdomen, where your bladder is. This is a serious condition, and if unhandled properly, it can even become life-threatening.
On the other hand, chronic urinary retention is a condition that happens over a longer period of time. In most cases, it’s because of the malfunctioning of the urethral sphincter muscles or because of minor obstruction. What happens is basically that a person is able to go to the bathroom, but the bladder doesn’t get fully emptied, which can cause complications if untreated for a longer period of time.
Should You Go To The Doctor?
Acute urinary retention, as previously mentioned, is a serious issue, and you should go to the doctor as soon as possible. The easiest way that doctors use to treat it is by introducing a catheter. When it comes to catheters, what you need to know about them is that it is the quickest and easiest procedure to treat urinary retention – the catheter goes into your bladder and hence let the urine out. This will make you feel better right away as your bladder is emptied, and after that is done, your doctor will find and treat the cause of the urinary retention.
As far as chronic urinary retention is concerned, it needs to be treated if you became aware of it, lowering the quality of your life, as well as if it gets more serious and leads to other complications regarding your urinary tract. There are different ways to approach the treatment, the most common one being catheterization. In some cases, urethral dilation can be used to dilate the urethra and hence allow more urine to flow through. Also, there are several medications that can be prescribed to you in order to help with the condition.
Home Remedies
It should be mentioned that home remedies apply only to chronic urinary retention since acute form must be treated as fast as possible by the professionals. But on the other hand, if you have chronic urinary retention, there are things that can help with relieving the pain and discomfort that this condition can cause.
Pain Relievers
While they only help you reduce symptoms and not the causes, they can help you a great deal if you are experiencing pain and the discomfort that it causes. Your doctor is probably going to recommend using acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Peppermint Oil
It is a known fact that the essential oils have healing and pain-relieving properties. In this case, though, peppermint oil can help to encourage urination. The way that you should use peppermint oil is the following: put a few drops of it into the toilet water, and then, the vapor from the oil will increase urine flow. And also, it is very important to note that essential oils shouldn’t be applied directly on the skin without diluting!
Even though urinary retention is a pretty uncomfortable condition to have, it can be successfully treated if you go to the doctor as soon as you start experiencing the symptoms. So, don’t ignore the symptoms, if you think that something is wrong, go to the doctor!