Urinary Retention Quiz
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Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Nao Saito, MD (Urology)
After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
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How Ubie Can Help You
With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.
Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
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✔︎ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
Passing slightly less urine than usual
Haven't passed urine in more than 12 hours
Pain at or around the pubis
Difficult to urinate after vigorous exercise
Decreased urination
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Developed by doctors.
What is Urinary Retention?
Urinary retention is a condition where the bladder cannot empty completely or at all during urination. It can be acute—a sudden inability to urinate. It can also be chronic — a gradual inability to fully empty the bladder of urine. Urinary retention may be caused by a host of different ailments.
Typical Symptoms of Urinary Retention
Decrease in urine volume
Unable to pass urine for 12 hours or more
Need to strain or bear down to pass urine, in the past month
Pubic pain
Stomach is full or bloated when the pain comes
Stomach feels bloated
Bloody or red urine
Pain when pressing down on the abdomen
Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Urinary Retention
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
Are you urinating less?
Has it been over 12 hours since you last passed urine?
Have you had difficulty urinating recently?
Do you have pain in your pubic area?
Do you experience fullness or bloating with your pain?
Treatmentof Urinary Retention
Treatment for urinary retention depends on whether it is acute or chronic. Acute urinary retention generally needs to be treated immediately by inserting a catheter tube through the urethra to drain the bladder. At the same time, doctors will search for the cause and treat the underlying cause. Chronic urinary retention does not need to be treated as urgently. The focus is on addressing the underlying cause.
Think you might have
Urinary Retention
View the symptoms of Urinary Retention
Diseases related to Urinary Retention
References
Billet M, Windsor TA. Urinary Retention. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2019 Nov;37(4):649-660. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2019.07.005. Epub 2019 Aug 16. PMID: 31563200.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733862719300690?via%3Dihub
Selius BA, Subedi R. Urinary retention in adults: diagnosis and initial management. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Mar 1;77(5):643-50. PMID: 18350762.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2008/0301/p643.html
User Testimonials
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Nao Saito, MD (Urology)
After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.
Think you might have
Urinary Retention
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Dale Mueller, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Associates
