Have To Push To Fully Empty Bladder

Weak Flow And Difficulty Urinating

How to completely empty your bladder in 3 easy steps

Most flow problems are caused by an enlargement in the prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland near the urethra the tube that carries urine from your bladder. When the gland swells, it presses down on the urethra, which constricts the flow of urine, causing slower urine flow and difficulty starting urination.

Several things can cause prostate swelling including:

Other causes of urinary difficulty include certain medications, such as antihistamines and decongestants, and bladder stones.

If you start having trouble urinating, or notice changes in your urine flow, contact your doctor immediately to rule out the possibility of a serious disease.

Put The Lid Down When You Flush

Experts say the water vapor and spray from flushing can reach as high as six feet in the air, contaminating toilet paper, towels, and everything else you are trying to keep clean. Why is that lid up anyway? You don’t need to watch your duty go down the toilet. Only children feel the need to watch. Put the lid down.

Something else to consider if you want to get well and stay well is your storage areas.

If the only storage space for your only cleaning products is in the bathroom, start looking around for another room or closet near the bathroom. Maybe you can store everything under the kitchen sink and only keep one bottle of spray bleach on the toilet tank or on the floor next to the toilet to use after each toilet use.

If you continue to store your cleaning products in the same area as your toilet paper and tissues, you will never get the full benefits of these suggestions.

How To Empty The Bladder

This article was co-authored by Robert Dhir, MD. Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhirs expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate , kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and mens health . His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 413,317 times.

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Timed Toileting And Double Voiding

What is timed voiding?

Timed voiding refers to going to the bathroom to void based upon the clock, not how you feel. Often, by the time a woman feels the need to void, its too late. The purpose of timed toileting is to prevent the bladder from overfilling so that you dont need to rush to get to the toilet in time and you have less leakage.

When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you should do is empty your bladder.

Watch the clock. You should try to void every 2 hours. If you drink a lot of fluids or have caffeinated drinks you may need to void every 1-2 hours.

Try to not go more than 3 hours without visiting the toilet. If you wait too long you will be more prone to accidents.

You should go to the washroom just before you go to sleep.

What is double voiding?

Double voiding refers to spending extra time on the toilet to try to empty your bladder completely. Many women rush to get off the toilet and leave urine inside the bladder. Over months and years of doing this, it may become harder for the bladder to fully empty. When urine is left inside the bladder it increases your risk of bladder infections, increases how often you need to void and you can have more leakage.

When you go to the washroom, dont rush!

Relax when you void. Do not try to stop the stream of urine. This will help the bladder empty fully.

When you think youre done, use the following methods to try and void a second time.

Sit for another 15-45 seconds

Lean forward and sit up straight again

What Are The Symptoms Of Bladder Control Problems

Signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence can include

leaking urine during everyday activities, such as lifting, bending, coughing, or exercising
being unable to hold in urine after feeling a sudden, strong urge to urinate
leaking urine without any warning or urge
being unable to reach a toilet in time
wetting your bed during sleep
leaking during sexual activity

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When To See A Doctor About Urinary Retention

Sudden, severe urinary retention can be life-threatening. You should seek emergency medical attention if you haven’t been able to urinate for more than four hours, Dr. Ramin recommends.

Less severe symptoms warrant a call to your doctor. The NIDDK recommends contacting your primary care provider or urologist if you experience trouble urinating, frequent urination or urine leakage.

What Symptoms Would I Have With A Rectocele

Many women with a rectocele have no symptoms, and the condition is only seen in a pelvic examination. In general, if a rectocele isnt causing you symptoms or discomfort, it can be left alone.

When symptoms are present, you may have:

Difficulty having bowel movements.

A rectocele should be treated only if your symptoms interfere with your quality of life.

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How Can Urinary Retention Be Prevented

For men:

If you have an enlarged prostate, be sure to take prostate medications as prescribed by your doctor and avoid medications associated with urinary retention, such as over-the-counter cold and allergy medications that contain decongestants.

For women:

If you have mild cystocele or rectocele, you may be able to prevent urinary retention by doing exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles.

Kimberly-Clark Australia makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information. This information should be used only as a guide and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice.

Healthdirect.gov.au, . Urinary retention. Available at: .

http://www.health.qld.gov.au, . Adult Urinary Obstruction, Retention and Bladder Scanning. Available at: .

John P. Cunha, F. . Urinary Retention: Get the Facts on Causes and Treatment. MedicineNet. Available at: .

Kidney.niddk.nih.gov, . Urinary Retention – National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Available at: .

Knott, MD, L. . Acute Urinary Retention. Information about AUR. Patient | Patient.co.uk. Patient.co.uk. Available at: .

Empty Your Bladder Before And After Sexual Intercourse

Two-Minute Tip: How to completely empty your bladder

There is nothing worse than frequent urination to put a damper on your sex life.

Even worse is if you get a UTI shortly after having sexyou might blame it on your partner and think you “picked up” something from them.

That might not be so. It might just be a case of poor planning. Use the method in this article before having sex, and you will be much more comfortable both right after sex and the morning after.

Always empty your bladder before sex and, just as importantly, again after sex. Make this a habit! Once you do the method a few times, you will be able to do it in about two minutes total. The first few times, it will take you about 6 to 8 minutes until you get the hang of it.
Urinating before and after sex helps to eliminate the re-occurrence of that “Oh, I think I’m getting a UTI” feeling the morning after sex. Everyone has experienced this at least once.
There is no sense in treating what you think is a UTI when, in fact, it is just an irritated bladder from sexual intercourse.
Follow this method, as noted above, drink more water throughout the day after sex, and you should be fine.

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Tips To Emptying Completely

Follow these tips and tricks to make sure your bladder stays empty and healthy.

Listen to your body. When you have a full bladder and feel the need to go, head to the bathroom. The amount of urine you think you have doesn’t matter. Just go!

Don’t push. Allow your bladder to contract on its own. Try to relax the pelvic floor muscles as much as possible.

Don’t linger too long. Give yourself time, but not too much. The longer you sit, the longer your bladder will think it needs to empty, which will train it to not empty completely.

Drink plenty of water. The World Health Organization recommends between two to 16 liters of water per day. Staying hydrated can help flush your body of toxins and waste. Drinking water also helps with passing urine more frequently. It’s better to have an acutely overactive bladder than an underactive one!

Void your bowels regularly. When constipation occurs and your colon is fuller, it places pressure on the bladder, making it more difficult to void fully.

Don’t hover! It can be hard not to hover when there’s a dirty toilet seat, but when you do this, the pelvic floor muscles engage and you force the urine to pass past them, creating dysfunctional voiding. Instead, sit down on the toilet seat completely This allows the pelvic floor muscles to relax.

Use belly breathing. Belly breathing allows decreased abdominal pressure, which is a great way to ensure your bladder empties to completion.

Three Common Urinary Problems In Men And What You Can Do About Them

As you age you may notice changes in your urination. Perhaps you have noticed that you have difficulty starting or stopping the flow, or maybe the flow is weaker and slower than before. In addition to problems with flow, you might notice that you dont always empty your bladder completely and you always feel like you have to go. Or, perhaps you have just noticed that you are going to the bathroom more often, especially at night.

While many of these problems can be attributed to aging, there may be other issues besides aging that could be causing three of the most common urinary problems that occur in men, and many are treatable.

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The Importance Of An Empty Bladder

Even when you go to the bathroom, you may not be voiding all of the waste from your body. If urine is leftover in the bladder, it can cause a lot of issues, including:

UTIs: Bacteria infect the urinary system. According to Mayo Clinic, women are at higher risk of UTIs than men.
Chronic urinary retention or acute urinary retention: Acute urinary retention occurs when you’re unable to empty your bladder for a short period of time, and chronic urinary retention occurs when you’re unable to urinate for longer periods.
Vesicoureteral Reflux : Urine moves backward from the bladder to the kidneys, in some cases, causing kidney failure.
Bladder overstretching : Bladder walls grow and become thick from too much stretching and retention.
Damaged bladder muscle: The muscle responsible for contraction when urinating is damaged.
Bladder infection: Bacteria from the urethra reach the bladder, causing an infection.
Overflow incontinence: The bladder overflows through the urethra to let more urine into the bladder.
Urge incontinence: Detrusor muscle becomes stressed due to excess pressure in the bladder, resulting in squeezing without awareness.
Stress incontinence: Abnormal pressure is placed on the bladder, weakening the pelvic floor muscles. Less support is given to the urethral structure, leading to leakage of urine. Common causes of leakage include sneezing, coughing, or exercising.

What Else Causes Bladder Control Problems In Women

How You Can Ease Diabetic Bladder Symptoms

Certain life events and health problems can lead to stress incontinence in women by weakening the pelvic floor muscles

pregnancy and childbirth

Weak pelvic floor muscles can make it hard for your bladder to hold urine in during stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when an actioncoughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical activityputs pressure on your bladder and causes urine to leak. A weak pelvic floor can also cause fecal incontinence, or bowel control problems.

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Mistake : Not Emptying Fully

When youre in a rush, incomplete bladder emptying can cause issues far more problematic than taking the extra minute or so in the bathroom. Similar to urine-holding, incomplete bladder emptying allows a reservoir of urine to collect that can potentially cause urinary infections. It can also increase the odds of developing another painful problembladder stones, which are salt crystals that sometimes form when urinary concentration or stasis develops.

Incomplete emptying isnt something you are always aware you’re doing, but its a good idea to make an effort to ensure you are emptying your bladder, says Dr. Brito. He says this is a particular problem for older men with prostate issues. For them, incomplete bladder emptying can lead to a smaller functional bladder capacity and subsequent urinary frequency and urgency problems.

Often as men get older, they will not completely empty their bladder. The problem there is, if your bladder’s full and you empty it halfway and then drink fluids like you normally would, it fills up more quickly, says Dr. Brito.

Sometimes educating patients to take their time in the bathroom and ensure their bladder is as empty as possible can help, says Dr. Brito. Other times, patients may need medications or surgery to help the bladder empty better.

Techniques For Complete Bladder Emptying

Timed voids. Urinate at least every three to four hours. Never hold the urine.

Double void. Before leaving the restroom, try to empty your bladder a second time. Focus on relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor. You may try running your hands under warm water before your second void to trigger a relaxation response.

Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids keep the urinary tract hydrated and clean.

Have a bowel movement every day. The rectum is just behind the bladder. If it is a full, it can prevent the bladder from functioning properly. Increase your fruit, fiber, water and walking until you have soft bowel movements and dont have to strain. You may add over the counter medications like Senna , Colace or Dulcolax .

Comfort and privacy are necessary to empty completely. Give yourself time to go.

Leaning forward may promote urination.

After you have finished passing urine, squeeze the pelvic floor to try to completely empty.

The sound of water can promote the bladder muscle to contract, but care should be taken not to promote bladder muscle instability with overuse of this technique.

Tapping over the bladder may assist in triggering a contraction in some people.

Stroking or tickling the lower back may stimulate urination and has been reported to be helpful in some patients.

Whistling provides a sustained outward breath with a gentle increase in pressure in the abdomen that may help with emptying your bladder.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Non

Children and adults with non-neurogenic voiding dysfunction may experience:

Taking a while for urination to start, straining to pee, slow urine stream or flow that starts and stops.
Having to push with the stomach muscles, or push on the lower abdomen with the hands, in order to urinate.
Feeling like the bladder is never fully empty.
Frequent urination , infrequent urination or leaking urine .
Holding behaviors, such as crossing legs or squatting .
Strong, sudden need to urinate.
Wetting during the day .

You Have A Nerve Issue

How to Overcome Incomplete Bladder Emptying FOR MEN | Physio Guide to Improving Bladder Flow

Neurological problems can prevent normal signaling between the brain and the bladder and urethra, which could lead to trouble with bladder emptying. These include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes or birth defects like spina bifida, according to the NIDDK.

Injuries that occur from a stroke or vaginal birth, as well as spinal cord injuries, pelvic injuries or brain injuries can also cause nerve damage that may lead to bladder problems.

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How Can Neurogenic Bladder Affect Your Life

The symptoms of neurogenic bladder can seriously affect your quality of life. They may make it difficult for you to get through your day without interruptions. You may feel afraid to go out with friends, take vacations or do everyday things. You may be afraid you may not be able to find a bathroom when you need one. Some people begin to cancel activities and withdraw from their lives. Neurogenic bladder may affect your work and your relationships. You may feel tired, depressed, anxious and lonely. If you are experiencing incontinence, the leaking urine can sometimes cause skin problems or infections.

Urinary Retention/obstruction With Underactive Bladder

In people with an underactive bladder , the bladder muscle may not squeeze when it needs to. The sphincter muscles around the urethra also may not work the right way. They may stay tight when you are trying to empty your bladder. With UAB symptoms, you may only produce a “dribble” of urine. You may not be able to empty your bladder fully . Sometimes you may not be able to empty your bladder at all .

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Straining Is Another Big No No When It Comes To Emptying The Bladder

Do you ever find yourself in a rush and wanting to force urine out of the bladder? Maybe you dont push in the beginning of a void, but you push at the end to ensure you are empty? These are common habits that, if not corrected can result in other issues.

The bladder works best if you can relax your muscles allowing urine to naturally flow out. Bearing down or pushing by using the abdominal muscles can weaken and strain your pelvic floor.

Men who have trouble fully emptying may have a bladder outlet obstruction, commonly due to BPH This condition can cause swelling in the prostate which affects urine flow.

In women, a bladder outlet obstruction is less likely, but they may suffer from pelvic organ prolapse which can make it difficult to start the stream or difficult to empty the bladder completely. Any pelvic organ has the potential to prolapse or descend downward into the vaginal canal. These organs include the uterus, bladder, urethra, rectum and vaginal wall. Sometimes when the bladder prolapses it causes a pocket of urine to form making it difficult to empty that pouch of urine. Doing a double void where you lean forward or stand up, then sit down again to help that urine in the pocket find the bladder outlet can make it easier to empty fully.

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