If urine remains in the bladder after urinating, it can easily lead to recurrent urinary tract infections and some forms of incontinence. An expert has outlined steps you can take to improve bladder emptying and reduce these risks.
You may not know that you are not urinating completely because the symptoms of urinary retention are not obvious.
Dr Mary Garthwaite, consultant urological surgeon and chair of the Urology Foundation, says the bladder is often the most underrated organ in the body. But it is a very complex organ that performs the vital function of safely storing and then efficiently excreting waste products from the body in the form of urine.
People often take their bladder for granted, but when it doesn't function properly, it can have significant physical, social, and psychological effects.
Signs that your bladder is not completely empty
There aren't many obvious symptoms that indicate your bladder is full, but there are some subtle signs:
Going to the bathroom more often than usual. This may mean you have not urinated completely.
Feeling as if you need to urinate again right away. Feeling the urge to urinate again after just urinating or leaking urine after going to the bathroom.
Frequent urinary tract infections , according to experts, are quite common, with nearly half of women having had them. Men are less likely to have them.
Poor hygiene, dehydration, or a weakened immune system also make you more susceptible to UTIs, but Dr. Garthwaite notes that many of the risk factors are interconnected.
If you don't empty your bladder, infected urine won't be released when you urinate, making the infection more difficult to treat.
If urine remains in the bladder after urinating, it can easily lead to recurrent urinary tract infections and cause some forms of urinary incontinence.
What should be done to avoid having urine left in the bladder?
According to experts, there are steps to properly empty your bladder and reduce your risk:
Don't rush. One of the key factors in emptying your bladder effectively is taking enough time to urinate, not rushing.
"Double Pee". A simple trick is to count slowly to 10 after you urinate and then try again. This is called "double peeing" and in many cases will be enough to clear up the last little bit of urine that is left.
Relax your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Also, relax your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles (without straining) and lean slightly forward or raise your legs, all of which will help empty your bladder better.
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