Do you or any of your loved one suffer from urinary or bowel urgency or frequency? In today’s newsletter we will discuss in-depth some of the symptoms and causes,
Symptoms of Urinary Urgency and Frequency
Urinary problems such as pain, urgency and frequency are common, and these symptoms usually affect both men and women. It is often described
as dysuria, which is the medical term for painful or difficult urination. Urinary pain or burning is often related to kidney problems or infections, which can potentially lead to pelvic floor issues. Our patients are more often experiencing a feeling of urgency, frequency, inability to go or completely empty the bladder. These “control”, or lack of, symptoms are more closely related to the musculature of the pelvic floor versus localized pain or burning.
Urinary urgency and frequency
Urgency and Frequency with other kinds of pelvic pain and discomfort can have many causes. But they can also be related to a single cause: a condition called non-relaxing pelvic floor disorder, which is not widely recognized but starting to have further.
What Causes Urinary Urgency and Frequency?
The pelvis contains many organs and systems, including the bowels, bladder, and for women, the uterus and vagina. All these organs are supported by the pelvic floor, a kind of sling made up of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues. When working properly, the muscles of the pelvic floor tighten and relax as needed to perform functions such as urination and bowel movements.
Several conditions can cause urinary issues leading to irritation, inflammation or other problems that interfere with the smooth working of the pelvic organs. Urinary issues like burning or pain upon urination, frequent urination and difficulties emptying the bladder can have causes such as bladder infections or interstitial cystitis.
Problem with Bowel Movements
Several conditions can cause urinary issues leading to irritation, inflammation or other problems that interfere with the smooth working of the pelvic such as constipation, pain, straining or incomplete elimination can also be caused by conditions including irritable bowel syndrome. Other kinds of pelvic dysfunction include painful intercourse for women and prostatitis for men. In women, too, organs such as the bowel or uterus can prolapse into the vagina. More rarely, bowel or bladder cancer may also cause these kinds of symptoms.
Frequently, though, the source of pelvic pain and discomfort cannot be traced to any of these conditions, especially when symptoms affect several locations such as the lower back, bladder, and rectum. In those situations, the problem may lie with dysfunction in the way the muscles and ligaments behave in the pelvic floor itself.