Abnormal Urination
What is abnormal urination?
To understand abnormal urination, you have to understand that normal urination requires coordinated activity between the bladder and control valves (sphincter) in order to empty through the urethra (the tube that brings urine and semen through the penis). The prostate gland surrounds a portion of the urethra. This activity is controlled and coordinated by the nervous system. Many clinical conditions can cause abnormal urination. In aging males, the prostate is often the cause of blockage, but other significant illnesses may cause symptoms. The symptoms can best be described as either “obstructive” or “irritative”.
Symptoms of Abnormal Urination
Symptoms associated with abnormal urination are most often divided into two categories, obstructive and irritative. Symptoms for both are listed below.
Obstructive Symptoms
- Hesitancy. Do you have to wait long for the stream of urine to begin?
- Is your stream of urine weak or poorly directed?
- Do you have to strain to urinate?
- Is there dribbling after urination has finished?
- After urination, do you have the feeling your bladder is not quite empty?
- Double voiding. Does urination occur a second time soon after completion?
If these obstructive symptoms sound like something you’re experiencing, it is worth speaking to your doctor about.
Irritative Symptoms
- Urgency. Do you get an urgent feeling of needing to urinate?
- Frequency. Is there only a short time between urinations?
- Nocturia (nocturnal urination). Do you have to get up many times during the night to urinate?
If these irritative symptoms sound like something you’re experiencing, it is worth speaking to your doctor about.
What are some of the causes of abnormal urination?
The most common causes of abnormal urination in men are:
- Prostate related: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer, prostatitis
- Bladder related: infection, cancer, stone
- Urethral related: urethral stricture, meatal stenosis (a circumcision-related abnormality), phimosis (a tightened foreskin on non-circumcised men)
- Neurologically related: Parkinson’s disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord disease
- Other possible causes: Diabetes, sleep apnea, medication, diet, distal ureteral stone, pelvic mass
