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Some blood in the urine... burning sensations... or even
inability to urinate... all relatively serious problems which
might also implicate the prostate.
BLOOD IN THE URINE
Just a few drops of blood can make the urine held in your
bladder turn a red color. We're talking about haematuria. Don't
panic - there's no danger - the presence of blood is more
disturbing than dangerous. Drink a lot of water to rince it out
then go and see your doctor. Haematuria may be due to one of the
following:
* simple congestion of the prostate * a unirary infection
inflaming the wall of the bladder and making it bleed * stones
in the bladder which are irritating the wall * following some
strenuous exercise
When the prostate is the cause, during urinating the blood will
usually arive first followed by clearer urine. Such haematuria
might occur from time to time and are not dangerous. However, if
frequent, surgical intervention on the prostate might one day be
required.
But note that,
if you do have blood in the urine, it is of vital
importance that its origin is determined. This will require a
thorough urological examination including an ultrasound scan,
intravenous pyelogram and fibrescopy of the bladder to determine
or eliminate possible other causes (such as a bladder tumour or
stones, or a kidney or ureteral tumor).
A BURNING SENSATION
If you feel a burning sensation while urinating, this is
probably due to a urinary infection which is irritating the
bladder or urethra. The burning is often accompanied by a
frequent desire to urinate - up to a dozen times a night.
However the urine flow will be week since the bladder hasn't had
time to refill. Occasionally the irritation will be so great
that the bladder might bleed. You might also have a fever which
can signify that bacteria have penetrated the prostate (with
associated risk of septicemia).
Such a urinary infection is diagnosed by a urine analysis and is
rapidy treated with antibiotics. For urinary infections
with
fever, the treatmant will last about three weeks.
ACUTE URINE RETENTION
You haven't urinated for over 24 hours, the bladder is full,
blocked; you want to urinate, but can't; your lower abdomen is
distended and painful to the touch. Yes, the bladder is capable
of holding over a litre (2 pints) of urine! This is acute urine
retention.
There's no point in trying to force it or waiting. There's only
one thing to do: insert a probe into the urethra and empty the
bladder. You'll have immediate relief. Contact your own doctor
or go immediately to your local hospital emergency department.
The probe will remain in place for a few days to enable the
bladder to relax. When it's removed you'll have about a 50%
chance of returning to a normal urination frequency. But beware
of any recurrence.
Acute urine retention can indicate prostate hypertrophy as yet
undiagnosed due to the absence of other symptoms. It can also
occur in someone undergoing prostate treatment, where it
would
indicate an evolution in the illness, and surgery might be
necessary.
Once again, you should be aware of other factors which might
lead to urine retention, such as taking certain cold and
bronchial medicines, constipation, some anaesthetics, and
excessive alcohol consummation.
So there you are. The above three problems are not uncommon, but
they are often the cause of much undue worry for those suffering
from them. Of course, they should all be reported immediately to
your doctor and thoroughly investigated. But I hope that this
short article will help to put your mind at rest and that in
many cases, your problems might not be so severe or
life-threatening as first imagined.
About the author:
Dr. Tavares is a medical consultant with experience in
traditional and complementary medicine. Her writing about prostate
problems can be found at Prostate Cancer
Answers.