What Is Urinary Tract Obstruction?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Urinary tract obstruction is

a blockage that inhibits the flow of urine through its normal path (the urinary tract)

, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Blockage can be complete or partial. Blockage can lead to kidney damage, kidney stones, and infection.

What is the most common cause of urinary tract obstruction?

The most common causes of intraluminal obstruction are

calculi, blood clots, tumors, or sloughed papilla

. These obstructions present acutely, leading to severe renal colic with flank pain, hematuria, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

What are the symptoms of urinary tract obstruction?

  • Inability to pass urine (urinary retention)
  • Weak stream of urine.
  • Interrupted stream.
  • Blood in the urine.
  • Pain in either flank (side) or in the back.
  • Abdominal pain and/or swelling.

How do you get rid of urinary blockage?

  1. Antibiotics.
  2. Urine removal (through use of a catheter, ureteral stent or draining the kidney directly with a tube through the back)
  3. Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery.
  4. Surgery.

What causes ureteral obstruction?

Causes of a ureteral obstruction include:

Enlarged prostate

, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Pregnancy, endometriosis or uterine prolapse. Scar tissue, tumors or cysts in the abdominal area.

What does a blocked kidney feel like?

Hydronephrosis may or may not cause symptoms. The main symptom is

pain

, either in the side and back (known as flank pain), abdomen or groin. Other symptoms can include pain during urination, other problems with urination (increased urge or frequency, incomplete urination, incontinence), nausea and fever.

What to do if urine is not coming?

  1. Tapping the area between navel and pubic bone. …
  2. Bending forward. …
  3. Placing a hand in warm water. …
  4. Running water. …
  5. Drinking while trying to urinate. …
  6. Trying the Valsalva maneuver. …
  7. Exercising. …
  8. Massaging the inner thigh.

Can UTI cause urine blockage?

Infections and swelling

This causes it to press on the urethra to block the flow of urine. A urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause

swelling of the urethra or weakness of the bladder

, both of which can cause urinary retention.

What color is urine when your kidneys are failing?

When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which

may be brown, red or purple

. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.

What stops a man from peeing?

Urinary retention (inability to urinate) may be caused by nerve disease, spinal cord injury,

prostate enlargement, infection, surgery

, medication, bladder stone, constipation, cystocele, rectocele, or urethral stricture. Symptoms include discomfort and pain. Treatment depends upon the cause of urinary retention.

Why does my urine get stuck?

Causes of urinary retention include

an obstruction in the urinary tract

such as an enlarged prostate or bladder stones, infections that cause swelling or irritation, nerve problems that interfere with signals between the brain and the bladder, medications, constipation, urethral stricture, or a weak bladder muscle.

Can you feel a swollen kidney?

On physical examination, your

doctor

may be able to feel your enlarged kidney by palpating the abdomen and flank area. Your doctor may use a catheter to drain some of the urine from your bladder.

What happens when a ureter is blocked?

If the ureter is too narrow and doesn’t allow urine to flow normally, a tiny bulge in the ureter (ureterocele) may develop, usually in the section of the ureter closest to the bladder. This can

block urine flow

and cause urine to back up into the kidney, possibly leading to kidney damage.

What causes blockage between kidney and bladder?


Hydronephrosis

is usually caused by a blockage in the urinary tract or something disrupting the normal workings of the urinary tract. The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters (the tubes that run from the kidney to the bladder) and the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body).

What are the 5 stages of kidney failure?

Stages of CKD GFR in mL/min Status of kidney function Stage 2 60-89 A mild decline in kidney function Stage 3 30-59 A moderate decline in kidney function Stage 4 15-29 A severe decline in kidney function Stage 5 <15 Kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis

Can drinking too much water cause hydronephrosis?

In the presence of vigorous oral hydration, however, mild or moderate hydronephrosis is a frequent occurrence seen at least

once

in 80% of our study of healthy volunteers after hydration.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.