If a person has a constant urge to pee but little 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.
See your doctor immediately if your bladder feels full but you cannot urinate at all. If your doctor is not available, go to the emergency department. See your doctor if you have: symptoms of urinary retention.
A urinary tract infection (UTI)
Besides frequent urination, signs of a UTI include fever, a burning feeling when you pee, discolored urine and constantly feeling like you need to pee (even after peeing). You may also feel bladder pressure or discomfort in your back or around your pelvis.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a “gotta go now” feeling. You have the urge to pee even though your bladder isn't full. OAB can lead to a condition called urinary incontinence where you leak urine.
Many times a UTI will go away on its own. In fact, in several studies of women with UTI symptoms, 25% to 50% got better within a week — without antibiotics.
Acute urinary retention, such as immediately after major surgery, will usually resolve by itself within a few days to weeks. Obstructive causes may not resolve without surgical relief of the obstruction.
In turn, the kidneys will only be able to make highly concentrated urine that irritates the bladder. Therefore, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day is one of the essential pieces of any treatment plan for urinary retention.
Acute urinary retention is common in older men, and the likelihood of experiencing acute urinary retention increases with age. Over a five-year period, approximately 1 in 10 men over the age of 70 and almost one in three men in their 80s will develop acute urinary retention.
Cystitis signs and symptoms may include: A strong, persistent urge to urinate. Pain or a burning feeling when urinating. Passing frequent, small amounts of urine.
The three most common causes of bladder pain are interstitial cystitis, urinary tract infection, and bladder cancer.
Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic bladder health issue. It is a feeling of pain and pressure in the bladder area. Along with this pain are lower urinary tract symptoms which have lasted for more than 6 weeks, without having an infection or other clear causes.
Urinary stones can also block the flow of urine out of your body. Urinary retention can also be caused by certain medications. Drugs like antihistamines (Benadryl®), antispasmodics (like Detrol®), opiates (like Vicodin®) and tricyclic antidepressants (like Elavil®) can change the way the bladder muscle works.
The main symptom is pain, either in the side and back (known as flank pain), abdomen or groin. Other symptoms can include pain during urination, other problems with urination (increased urge or frequency, incomplete urination, incontinence), nausea and fever.
Symptoms can include pain in the side, decreased or increased urine flow, and urinating at night. Symptoms are more common if the blockage is sudden and complete. Testing can include insertion of a urethral catheter, insertion of a viewing tube into the urethra, and imaging tests.
Bladder infections are a type of UTI, but not all urinary tract infections are bladder infections. A UTI is defined as an infection in one or more places in the urinary tract—the ureters, kidneys, urethra, and/or bladder. A bladder infection is a UTI that's only located in the bladder.
Feel a sudden urge to urinate that's difficult to control. Experience unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate (urgency incontinence) Urinate frequently, usually eight or more times in 24 hours. Wake up more than two times in the night to urinate (nocturia)
Don't wait a long time to address difficulty peeing. After 36 to 48 hours of symptoms, it's time to seek a professional diagnosis.
The most common cause of urinary retention is benign prostatic hyperplasia. Other common causes include prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, and vulvovaginitis; receiving medications in the anticholinergic and alpha-adrenergic agonist classes; and cortical, spinal, or peripheral nerve lesions.
People with anxiety disorders can experience a range of symptoms and side effects, even physical ones. More frequent symptoms include a pounding or rapid heartbeat, unexplained aches and pains, dizziness, and shortness of breath, but anxiety can also cause less common side effects like urinary retention.
Depending on the type of treatment, recovery can take anywhere between two days to several months.