What Are the Treatments for Difficulty With Urination?

There can be many reasons for difficulty with urination. Muscles might have weakened with age or disease, or the kidneys might be obstructed.

Urinary obstructions affect about one in every 1,000 people, and they vary widely by the cause and type of blockage. An obstruction should be treated promptly to minimize damage to the bladder and kidneys.

Kidney Stones

• The normal flow of urine passes through the kidneys into the bladder and is released via the urethra.

  If the kidneys fail to eliminate unwanted salts in the urine, they can build up into a stone. When a stone travels to the urinary tract, the pain in the back, side, and lower abdomen can be excruciating. Sufferers complain that the pain is worse than giving birth.

  You might have difficulty urinating, and you might experience a burning sensation upon urination.

  A kidney stone might pass on its own, but if it takes more than a day, consult your doctor.

  If you have a hard or extremely large stone, a surgeon might open the kidney or kidney tube and remove the stone.

  Ultrasonic lithotripsy breaks up smaller stones, with high-frequency sound waves delivered through an electronic probe in the ureter. The stone is made small enough to be passed by the patient, or it is surgically removed.

Enlarged Prostate

• The prostate gland sits in the pelvis, at the base of the bladder, and it surrounds the urethra.

  Benign prostatic hypertrophy--an enlarged prostate--leads to difficult urination, a weak flow of urine, and pain upon urination.

  If the prostate gland is only mildly enlarged, treatment might not be needed, and patients can have their symptoms monitored with regular medical checkups.

  Water-induced thermotherapy can relieve symptoms, and it is not as invasive as conventional surgery. A catheter with multiple shafts is inserted into the urethra, so a treatment balloon is positioned in the middle of the prostate. Temperature-controlled water flows into the balloon. The heated water destroys excess tissue, which is then passed in the urine or reabsorbed by the body.

Diabetic Neuropathy

• Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder that can affect every area of the body. It is more common in diabetics who are overweight, have poor blood glucose control, who have high blood pressure and blood fats, and who have had diabetes for at least twenty-five years.

  Nerve damage from autonomic neuropathy results in incomplete emptying of the bladder, and growth of bacteria leads to urinary-tract infections. Loss of muscle control in the bladder might make a person unaware that the bladder is full, and he might not be able to control the flow of urine.

  Normalizing blood glucose levels is the first step in treating diabetic neuropathy. Blood glucose monitoring, exercise and meal planning will bring the levels down and prevent further nerve damage.

  To treat a urinary tract infection your doctor will prescribe antibiotics and tell you to increase fluid intake. Urinating at regular intervals can help control incontinence.