If you haven't urinated for 6 hours, you may have urinary retention. This is fairly common after some surgeries. But it could become serious if left untreated. Treatment includes draining the bladder with a small tube called a catheter.
[12] One should also take note of how long it has been since a postoperative patient's last void. Most patients should go no more than 6 to 7 hours without passing some urine.
If people cannot urinate at all or are retaining a large amount of urine, a hospital staff member may pass a flexible tube (catheter) through the urethra and into the bladder to drain the urine. Because this catheter may increase the risk of developing a urinary tract infection, it is removed as soon as possible.
You healthcare provider may also start you on medication to relax your urethra to make it easier for your bladder to empty. This medication, called an alpha blocker, is often given to men to relax their prostates. It can also be given for a short time period to men and women to help them urinate after surgery.
Urinary retention usually goes away on its own with time (1-2 weeks after surgery) as it is related to some swelling in the area near the urethra because of your surgery. During this time you may need to have a catheter (small plastic tube that is connected to a drainage bag) left in the bladder to drain the urine.
Call your doctor or urologist if:
You do not urinate at all within 8 hours of your catheter removal.
Urinary retention can be caused by a problem with the nerves that control your bladder. This can happen as a result of diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain or spinal cord infections or injuries, or pelvic injury.
Oliguria is the medical term for low urine output. If you have a blockage, your kidneys are producing urine but you aren't able to excrete it. If you aren't producing urine, you may have diseases of the kidneys, heart or lungs. The best way to treat oliguria depends on what is causing the low urine output.
Anuria, sometimes called anuresis, refers to the lack of urine production. This can happen as a result of conditions like shock, severe blood loss and failure of your heart or kidneys. It can also be due to medications or toxins. Anuria is an emergency and can be life-threatening.
Depending on the type of treatment, recovery can take anywhere between two days to several months.
Urinary retention occurs when you can't completely empty your bladder. It can cause damage to your bladder and kidneys. It can result from a blockage of the passage that lets urine out of your bladder (urethra), or a problem with how your bladder muscle works.
When it comes to urinating, avoid extremes, experts said. “Going 12 hours between urinating is not normal; going every 15 minutes is not normal,” said Stephen Freedland, a professor of urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
If a person has a constant urge to pee but nothing comes out when they go, they may have an infection or other health condition. If a person frequently needs to pee but little comes out when they try to go, it can be due to a urinary tract infection (UTI), pregnancy, an overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate.
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
One of the most common causes of a strong urge to urinate with little urine produced is a UTI, or urinary tract infection. UTIs result when bacteria travel up your urethra to your bladder, and over 8 million Americans require medical attention for this common infection every year.
Common causes include: Dehydration from not drinking enough fluids and having vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. Total urinary tract blockage, such as from an enlarged prostate. Medicines such as anticholinergics and some antibiotics.
Though a healthy bladder can stretch and accommodate larger volumes of urine, it's important to urinate at regular intervals. “Usually I recommend that you empty your bladder every three hours, whether you have the urge to go or not,” says Nazia Bandukwala, D.O., a urologist at Piedmont.
For 2 days after your catheter is removed, your bladder and urethra will be weak. Don't push or put effort into urinating. Let your urine pass on its own.
Increase the time between toilet visits by 15 minutes each week, to a maximum of 4 hours. Standing very still or if possible sitting on a hard chair. Distracting yourself, eg, counting backwards from 100. Squeezing with your pelvic floor muscles.
Pelvic floor muscle exercises, also called Kegel exercises, help the nerves and muscles that you use to empty your bladder work better. Physical therapy can help you gain control over your urinary retention symptoms.
If you haven't peed in over 8 hours, seek medical attention immediately. Urine should be a pale yellow, similar to the color of lemonade, not dark.
Acute urinary retention, a potentially life-threatening medical condition, requires immediate emergency treatment. Acute urinary retention can cause great discomfort or pain.
There's currently no official record set for the longest someone has gone without peeing, but holding it in is not advised. According to msn.com, no serious health problems have been linked to holding urine too long.