Urine and Urination—Bladder Diseases

The bladder is a hollow organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine. Many conditions can affect your bladder. Some common ones are

• Cystitis – inflammation of the bladder, often from an infection
• Urinary incontinence – loss of bladder control
• Overactive bladder – a condition in which the bladder squeezes urine out at the wrong time
• Interstitial cystitis – a chronic problem that causes bladder pain and frequent, urgent urination
• Bladder cancer

Doctors diagnose bladder diseases using different tests. These include urine tests, x-rays, and an examination of the bladder wall with a scope called a cystoscope. Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. It may include medicines and, in severe cases, surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• Bladder biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bladder outlet obstruction (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bladder stones (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cystitis – noninfectious (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Indwelling catheter care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neurogenic bladder (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Self catheterization – female (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Self catheterization – male (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary catheters (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary Retention – NIH (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Your kidneys make urine by filtering wastes and extra water from your blood. The waste is called urea. Your blood carries it to the kidneys. From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to urinate. It swells into a round shape when it is full and gets smaller when empty. If your urinary system is healthy, your bladder can hold up to 16 ounces (2 cups) of urine comfortably for 2 to 5 hours.

You may have problems with urination if you have

• Kidney failure
• Urinary tract infections
• An enlarged prostate
• Bladder control problems like incontinence, overactive bladder, or interstitial cystitis
• A blockage that prevents you from emptying your bladder

Some conditions may also cause you to have blood or protein in your urine. If you have a urinary problem, see your health care provider. Urinalysis and other urine tests can help to diagnose the problem. Treatment depends on the cause.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• Clean catch urine sample (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Frequent or urgent urination (Medical Encyclopedia)
• RBC urine test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinalysis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary catheters (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary Retention – NIH (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Urinating more at night (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urination – difficulty with flow (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urination – painful (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urine – bloody (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urine 24-hour volume (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urine odor (Medical Encyclopedia)