Bladder emptying disorders - specialists and information

Leading Medicine Guide Editors
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Leading Medicine Guide Editors

Every year, many people in Germany suffer from acute bladder emptying disorders. This term is used by doctors to describe disorders that occur in connection with bladder emptying. These include Difficult and incomplete voiding as well as particularly frequent or infrequent voiding. In some cases, however, uncontrolled bladder emptying also occurs.

If you also suffer from these symptoms, you should have them checked urgently. A bladder emptying disorder can quickly develop into dysuria. This is a common side effect of severe urinary tract infections. This bladder emptying disorder usually manifests itself as severe pain during urination.

Below you will find further information and selected specialists for bladder emptying disorders.

ICD codes for this diseases: R39.1

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Article overview

What can cause bladder emptying disorders?

A bladder emptying disorder can have numerous different causes. In practice, a distinction is made between mechanical and neurogenic causes.

  • Mechanical causes

If you have a mechanical bladder emptying disorder, there is an obstruction in your urinary tract . This usually involves urinary deposits or a urinary stone.

In rare cases, however, a bladder emptying disorder also occurs due to an external drainage obstruction. A urethral stricture can also be the cause of a bladder emptying disorder.

  • Neurogenic causes

The second group of known causes of bladder voiding dysfunction consists of neurogenic factors. If certain factors occur, this is referred to as a neurogenic bladder. These are, on the one hand, a faulty contraction of the bladder wall and, on the other, a delayed relaxation of the bladder sphincter.

The bladder sphincter is a sphincter muscle that ensures that you do not unintentionally leak small amounts of urine. A disorder of the bladder sphincter usually leads to urinary incontinence (bladder weakness).

In the case of bladder weakness, those affected constantly and uncontrollably urinate small amounts. If both factors occur together, there is usually a damaged nerve supply or coordination of the bladder.

As a rule, neurogenic bladder is caused by damage to the spinal cord. Damage to the nerve plexus in front of the sacrum and bladder overstretching are also known to be possible causes of neurogenic bladder.

Harndrang bei gesunder HarnblaseUrinary urgency in a healthy bladder @ bilderzwerg /AdobeStock

The diagnosis of bladder emptying disorders

There are several different ways for a doctor to diagnose a bladder voiding disorder. The basis of the diagnosis is a thorough physical examination.

The doctor will usually ask you to fill out a questionnaire. In addition, your doctor will often also require a micturition diary for a clear diagnosis.

This is a tabular list of the amount you drink and the amount of urine you pass every hour. Some specialists will also check the functionality of your sphincter muscle and anal reflex.

Once the physical examinations have been completed, laboratory tests such as urine tests will follow . Among other things, your doctor may perform a urine culture. A urine culture tells the doctor which bacteria are present in your urine.

An imaging examination such as sonography, on the other hand, provides information about the thickness of your kidney and bladder wall. In addition, sonography also allows your doctor to see whether there is any residual urine in your urethra.

Your doctor will then use the results of these examinations to determine a course of treatment. If this does not produce any results, your doctor will also need to carry out urodynamics.

Doctors use pressure probes and electrodes to directly examine the functionality of your bladder. These results are used to make a clear diagnosis of the type of disorder and its severity.

What is the treatment for bladder emptying disorders?

The basis of treatment for any bladder voiding disorder is comprehensive behavioral therapy. Due to the bladder emptying disorder, you should greatly reduce your fluid intake in order to avoid overfilling the bladder .

In addition, you should train yourself to urinate voluntarily at set times together with your doctor. Further support is provided by pelvic floor exercises and drug therapy.

Beckenbodentraining bei BlasenentleerungsstörungPelvic floor therapy helps with bladder dysfunction @ Kzenon /AdobeStock

A complete cure is possible in 15 percent of cases and an improvement in symptoms in 50 to 70 percent of cases.

Many doctors also use anticholinergics to support the therapy. These are drugs that cause the muscles to relax.

This reduces the strength of the muscle contractions in the bladder and increases the bladder capacity. An improvement is possible if you urinate before reaching your bladder capacity.

The increase in bladder capacity creates the necessary space for healing.

In addition, many doctors also use botulinum toxin. Doctors inject this medication into your body. This leads to an increase in bladder capacity lasting several months.

This medication is always used when treatment with anticholinergics does not work. In addition to these two substances, numerous other medications are used to treat the side effects of botulinum toxin or anticholinergics.

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