Question: What are the symptoms of urinary retention?
Answer: Acute urinary retention

Symptoms of acute urinary retention may include

the inability tourinate
pain—often severe—in your lowerabdomen
the urgent need to urinate
swelling of your lower abdomen

Chronic urinary retention

Chronic urinary retention develops over time and may cause few or no symptoms, which may make it hard to detect. If your chronic urinary retention causes symptoms, they may include

the inability to completely empty yourbladderwhen urinating
frequent urination in small amounts
difficulty starting the flow ofurine, called hesitancy
a slow urine stream
the urgent need to urinate, but with little success
feeling the need to urinate after finishing urination
leaking urine without any warning or urge
lower abdominal pain or discomfort
Question: When should I see a health care professional?
Answer: See a health care professional right away if you are unable to urinate or have severe pain in your abdomen. Acute urinary retention can be life threatening.

If you have any of the other symptoms of urinary retention, such as trouble urinating, frequent urination, or leaking urine, talk with your health care professional about your symptoms and possible treatments. Chronic urinary retention can cause serious health problems.
Question: What causes urinary retention?
Answer: The causes of urinary retention are related to either a blockage that partially or fully prevents urine from leaving your bladder or urethra, or your bladder not being able to maintain a strong enough force to expel all the urine.

Blockage or narrowing in the urethra or bladder neck

For you to be able to urinate normally, all parts of your urinary tract need to work together in the correct order. Urine normally flows from your kidneys, through the ureters to your bladder, and out the urethra. If a blockage or narrowing occurs somewhere along the urinary tract, you may have difficulty urinating, and if the blockage is severe, you may not be able to urinate at all.

Medical problems that may narrow the urethra and block urine flow include

enlargedprostate, orbenign prostatic hyperplasia
bladder outlet obstruction, such as urethralstrictureor scar tissue in thebladder neck
pelvic organ prolapse, includingcystoceleandrectocele
urinary tract stones, also calledcalculi
constipation
pelvic masses, such as noncancerous or cancerous tumors, fibroids,polyps, or clots
tightpelvic floor muscles
infections, such asurinary tract infection,sexually transmitted diseases, orprostatitis
trauma to thepelvis, urethra, orpenis

Inefficient bladder contraction (underactive bladder)

You may develop urinary retention when your bladder muscles aren’t able to contract with enough strength or do not contract long enough to empty your bladder completely—also called underactive bladder. Causes of underactive bladder include

Neurological problems. Urinary retention can occur when there is a problem with your nervous system that prevents messages from travelling from your brain to your bladder and urethra. There are many different causes of neurological problems, including

Parkinson’s disease
multiple sclerosis
Alzheimer’s disease
stroke
birth defects, such asspina bifida
diabetes
spinal cord injury
traumatic brain injury
pelvic injury
vaginal birth
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Fowler’s syndrome
heavy metal poisoning

Medicines. Urinary retention can be caused by certain medicines that interfere with nerve signals to your bladder, urethra, or prostate. Examples of these medicines include

alpha-adrenergic agonists
anticholinergicsandantispasmodics
antidepressants
antihistamines and decongestants
antiparkinsonian medications
antipsychotics
benzodiazepines
calcium channel blockers
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such asaspirinandibuprofen
opioids
serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors

Surgery. It is common to develop temporary urinary retention right after surgery. During surgery, you are often given intravenous (IV) fluid, which may lead to a full bladder. You are also given anesthesia, which can prevent you from feeling the need to urinate despite having a full bladder. In addition, pelvic surgery can cause swelling, scar tissue, and trauma that can partially or fully block the flow of urine out of your bladder or urethra.

Weak bladder muscles. Bladder muscles that are weak may not contract with enough strength or force to empty the bladder completely. Causes of weakness can include

age-related loss of bladder muscle strength
overdistention—a bladder that has been stretched such that the muscles are damaged
pregnancy and childbirth
trauma