Urination is a physiological act of fundamental importance for the body, as it allows the elimination of waste filtered by the kidneys.
What should normal urination be like?
The frequency of emptying the bladder during the day varies from person to person. In healthy people, the number of urinations varies from 4 to 6-7 times per day. Usually, although not necessarily, women have to urinate more often than men. In healthy people, urination is a voluntary controlled process. In fact, even if you feel the urge to urinate, you can consciously decide whether to empty your bladder or not. In contrast, in newborns, children under 2-3 years old, some elderly people and patients with neurological damage, voluntary control is lost and urination occurs reflexively.
Emptying the bladder, and therefore urination, depends on contraction of the detrusor (smooth muscle of the bladder) and is hampered by the tone of the internal posterior urethral sphincter and contraction of the external urethral sphincter. Continence of urine and emptying the bladder, in addition to coordination between the nervous system and the muscles of the genitourinary system, necessarily require that the person have normal cognitive function, mobility, and access to a toilet. Any dysfunction and/or damage to one or more components involved in emptying the bladder can lead to the most common urinary changes such as urinary incontinence or retention.
What is urinary retention?
Urinary retention is defined as the inability to completely empty the bladder. It is a urinary disorder that can be acute or chronic. The main causes are: decreased contractility of the bladder; impaired urine outflow; loss of coordination between bladder contraction and relaxation of the sphincter muscles.
There are many disorders and pathological conditions that can lead to urinary retention. In many cases, this is a complication of pathologies affecting the genitourinary system, such as prostatic hypertrophy, bladder stones, vaginal prolapse. Urinary retention can also be caused by taking certain types of medications ( antihypertensive and anticholinergic agents, etc.); severe fecal stasis; neurogenic bladder in patients with Parkinson's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or those who have undergone surgery on the pelvic organs with bladder denervation.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a urinary disorder characterized by the involuntary loss of urine. The disease is especially common among older patients, but can occur at any age and in people of either gender.
Among the pathologies that contribute to or increase this disorder, it should be noted: pregnancy and childbirth (due to weakening of the pelvic muscles and hypermobility of the urethra); menopause; urethritis; benign prostatic hyperplasia; uterine prolapse; lower motor neuron lesions . Urinary incontinence can also be provoked by taking diuretics , alpha-adrenergic antagonists and calcium channel blockers .
Other urinary disorders
The urination disorders described below are usually a consequence of certain physiological or pathological conditions. However, this does not mean that they should be underestimated. Therefore, if you experience any changes in urination, it is best to immediately contact a urologist at the Bogolyuby Medical Institution .
In addition to urinary retention and incontinence, there are a number of other, less “popular” disorders. Anuria: complete cessation of urine production with urine output less than 100 ml per 24 hours. Oliguria : is reduced urine output. Usually, oliguria is spoken of when urine output is less than 400 ml per day. Polyuria: is characterized by the formation and excretion of very large amounts of urine, which is diluted and very light in color. Nocturia : this term defines the need to urinate that occurs during the night.
