Diazepam (Valium) can be taken as a muscle relaxant or to reduce anxiety. Drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers can also be used to relax the sphincter. Examples of these drugs are alfuzosin (UroXatral), tamsulosin (Flomax), terazosin (Hytrin), and doxazosin (Cardura).
What happens when urinary sphincter relax?
When the bladder is full of urine, stretch receptors in the bladder wall trigger the micturition reflex. The detrusor muscle that surrounds the bladder contracts. The internal urethral sphincter relaxes, allowing for urine to pass out of the bladder into the urethra. Both of these reactions are involuntary.
How do you weaken the urethral sphincter?
Urethral sphincter damage is caused by trauma to the pelvic floor, bladder, and urethra . This can happen due to childbirth, surgery, radiation therapy, spinal cord injuries, etc. Some forms of damage are temporary, and some are permanent.
What causes the internal urethral sphincter to open?
However, parasympathetic activity causes the bladder to contract and allows the internal sphincter to open [18]. When the bladder is full, the fully filled bladder increases parasympathetic tone and decreases sympathetic activity, allowing the internal sphincter muscle to relax and the bladder to contract [17].
Which nervous system relaxes the urinary sphincter?
In terms of urinary function, the parasympathetic nerves stimulate the detrusor to contract. Immediately preceding parasympathetic stimulation, the sympathetic influence on the internal urethral sphincter becomes suppressed so that the internal sphincter relaxes and opens.
Can a damaged urinary sphincter be repaired?
Injury to the muscle components of the urinary sphincter may be the result of trauma during birth, as part of blunt or penetrating trauma to the pelvis or as the result of surgery. We know from obstetric experience that the torn or ruptured anal sphincter may be surgically reconstructed with good results [1, 2].
How do you treat a urethral sphincter?
Hypertonicity of the external urethral sphincter is often refractory to antispasticity drugs. However, a-antagonist medication often reduces the resistance of the bladder neck. Treatment options such as sphincterotomy, urethral stents , urethral and suprapubic catheters are not without complication or failure.
What sphincter controls urinary flow?
The internal urethral sphincter regulates involuntary control of urine flow from the bladder to the urethra, and the external urethral sphincter provides voluntary control of urine flow from the bladder to the urethra.
What drugs help urine flow?
Flomax (Flowmax) is an alpha-blocker. It works by relaxing muscles in the prostate and bladder, which helps to improve urine flow and reduce symptoms of BPH. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra (the duct that drains the bladder).
What does urethra pain feel like?
The main symptom is intense itching or burning in and around the vagina. Other symptoms include: vaginal inflammation, redness, or soreness. inflammation of the urethral opening, causing painful urination.
Which system relaxes the bladder?
The sympathetic system has a long postganglionic chain that runs with the hypogastric nerve to synapse with alpha and beta receptors in the bladder wall and the bladder neck or internal sphincter. Beta receptors are responsible for mediating relaxation of the bladder with filling.
What muscle relaxes during urination?
The primary function of the detrusor muscle is to contract during urination to push the urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. The detrusor muscle will relax to allow the storage of urine in the urinary bladder.
How do you fix nerve damage in the bladder?
If lifestyle or medical treatments do not work, your health care provider may suggest surgery. For patients with overactive bladder symptoms, a surgery called sacral neuromodulation (SNS) is the only surgery available. SNS targets the nerves carrying signals between the spinal cord and the bladder.
Why is my urethra not closing?
Stricture (narrowing of the urethra) can happen at any point from the bladder to the tip of the penis. This narrowing restricts or slows the flow of urine in. Some common causes are: trauma to the urethra .
Can a damaged urethra heal itself?
Rarely, urethral tears heal without surgery . Treatment helps to prevent some complications of urethral injuries. Complications that cannot be prevented are treated accordingly.
How long does an artificial urinary sphincter last?
The AUS can wear out over time usually in 8 to 10 years and when it does, it will need to be replaced.
