What is urinary retention?

Urinary retention is when you are not able to completely empty your bladder. It can be:

• acute — when your bladder is full but you can’t pass any urine (wee) at all
• chronic — when you can pass urine, but your bladder still contains some urine afterwards

Urinary retention needs to be treated. If not, it can cause kidney or bladder damage.

What symptoms are related to urinary retention?

Acute urinary retention

Acute urinary retention usually comes on suddenly. Symptoms include:

• lower abdominal (tummy) pain, which can be severe
• a feeling of fullness in your lower abdomen
• wanting to pass urine (do a wee) but not being able to

Chronic urinary retention

Chronic urinary retention comes on more gradually. It may take a long time for you to notice symptoms.

Symptoms may include:

• feeling you need to strain to pass urine
• a weak flow of urine with a slow start
• feeling like your bladder is not empty after you pass urine
• incontinence — leaking urine without being able to control it
• difficulty holding in urine, especially when you cough or sneeze
• wetting yourself or needing to urinate often at night
• dribbling urine after doing a wee

You may also have frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or abdominal pain or discomfort.

What causes urinary retention?

There are many reasons why you might develop urinary retention. It’s more likely as you get older. This is because changes in your urinary system can occur with ageing.

If something blocks or presses on your urethra, it can cause urinary retention. Your urethra is the tube that lets urine out of your bladder.

A blockage can be caused by:

• a full bladder
• an enlarged prostate (in males)
• constipation
• kidney stones in your urinary system
• tumours
• prolapsed uterus or bladder (in females)

Damage to the nerves that control your bladder and bladder muscles can also cause urinary retention. Damage may be caused by:

• spinal injuries
• health conditions that affect your nervous system, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, stroke or Parkinson’s disease

Other causes of urinary retention are:

• recently having surgery or an injury to your pelvis
• some medicines
• recently giving birth
• blood (with clots) in your urine

How is the cause of urinary retention diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and whether you have been having problems with bladder control. They will ask about your medicines and your general health.

Your doctor will examine you and may recommend tests to look for the cause of your urinary retention. These may include:

• a bladder scan
• urine tests
• blood tests

A bladder scan is an ultrasound scan of your bladder. It can measure the amount of urine in your bladder, both before and after you urinate.

Your doctor may refer you to a urologist or urogynaecologist (specialist doctors who treat problems with the urinary system). They may recommend further tests and treatment.

When should I see my doctor?

See your doctor if you have:

• symptoms of chronic urinary retention
• symptoms of a urinary tract infection (such as discomfort when urinating and needing to go more often than usual)
• blood in your urine
• urinary incontinence

When to seek urgent care

How is urinary retention treated?

Acute urinary retention needs urgent medical attention. Your bladder needs to be emptied with a urinary catheter. This is a tube that’s put into your bladder.

Further treatment for urinary retention will depend on the cause. It may include:

• changing your medicines
• treatment for constipation
• treatment for prostate enlargement
• surgery

If urinary incontinence is a problem for you, your doctor or continence nurse can give you advice about how to manage it.

Some suggestions that may help include:

• pelvic floor exercises
• bladder training
• incontinence products

What are the complications of urinary retention?

If you have chronic urinary retention, you may:

• get frequent urinary tract infections
• have urinary incontinence

When urine builds up in your bladder, it can cause pressure and overstretching throughout your urinary tract. This can go all the way up to your kidneys. It can cause damage to your bladder and kidneys.

Resources and support

Continence Health Australia has information on bladder problems, including in languages other than English. For more information and advice, contact the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.