There are different conditions that are responsible for causing sensation of fullness or pressure on bladder even after urination. Knowing the causes of feeling of bladder fullness after urination is important so that appropriate treatment can be initiated.
Bladder is one of the important organs of the urinary tract system and it is situated in pelvis, behind and above the pubic bone. Urine is produced in the kidneys, which reaches the bladder via a pair of tubes known as ureters which are responsible for connecting all these organs together. Bladder is responsible for storing the produced urine in your body and it empties the urine after receiving signals from your brain. The stored urine passes out through the bladder and exits from urethra.
Bladder Fullness after Urination
Bladder fullness is a condition where a feeling arises when the bladder usually gets filled with produced urine and it creates an urge to empty the bladder through urination. The sensation of fullness in urinary bladder usually arises when the bladder gets filled with urine beyond its normal capacity. The fullness gives you an indication that you need to pass out the urine immediately. However, human bladder is designed in such a way that it can stretch till a certain extent if you desire to delay urination under certain conditions. If you delay your urination then the feeling of fullness intensifies to a certain degree where you can’t tolerate anymore and you may even ultimately urinate.
In some people the feeling of fullness may occur even after urination. This is caused when some amount of urine is left in the urinary bladder. However, this feeling of fullness after urination is not normal and may need medical attention. The underlying causes for bladder fullness after urination can be noted in both males and females.
However, some of the causes may differ in men and women due to their diverse genitourinary structures.
After the urine is filled in the bladder, the muscular walls in the bladder get stretched and expanded. These walls inside the bladder perceive the expanding or stretching and send signals to the human brain that the bladder is full now and it is the time for urination. The natural capacity of human bladder is to store about 500 mL of urine at a time, but it is designed in such a way that it can stretch till certain extent.
The feeling of fullness in bladder usually starts when the bladder is filled with 350 mL of urine. Gradually, this sensation of fullness increases when more urine starts getting stored in the urinary bladder. The sensation of fullness automatically alleviates after the stored urine is passed out. But, if some amount of urine is left in the urinary bladder then again the sensation of fullness will arise. There are various causes of feeling of bladder fullness after urination.
What Causes Feeling of Bladder Fullness After Urination?
The sensation or feeling of fullness after urination may arise from a variety of reasons. The commonest factors causing bladder fullness after urination include:
- Irritation in bladder wall.
- Inflammation and infection.
- Pressure on bladder from other organs like intestine, uterus that surround the urinary bladder. Conditions affecting the organs around the bladder can cause feeling of bladder fullness.
- If the bladder is not completely emptied and some amount of urine is still present in bladder, it can result in feeling of bladder fullness.
Infection and Inflammation
Infection in urinary tract is a common cause of feeling of bladder fullness after urination in both men and women. Urinary tract infection causes inflammation that may lead to swelling of bladder lining or wall and hence triggers the feeling of pressure or fullness even after urination. Infection may be associated with symptoms like increased frequency of urination, leakage of urine and burning with urination. However, such infections can be easily treated with prescribed antibiotics.
Muscular Disorders
Overactive bladder is the most common medical condition that affects over millions of people across the world. This condition occurs when the muscles and the nerve in the urinary bladder tend to become too sensitive and receptive, triggering the bladder to flush out the urine before it gets the chance to fill properly again after urination. The contractions in the bladder usually cause a feeling of bladder fullness and a sensation of pressure. Incontinence or leakage of urine is the common symptom of this condition.
There are other medical conditions that may be linked with overactive bladder including:
Drugs are available that can treat the condition and reduce the spasm of bladder muscles. There are bladder training exercises, biofeedback and Kegel exercise that can prove to be effective for such condition.
Other Causes
Other causes of feeling of bladder fullness after urination include:
- Infection in urethra.
- Prostate enlargement and prostate cancer in men.
- Cancer in urinary bladder.
- Stone in bladder.
- Injury in urethra or bladder due to instrumentation.
- Damages caused to nerve innervating urinary bladder that controls the functioning of bladder.
Feeling of Fullness after Urination in Women
In addition to the above causes, feeling of bladder fullness after urination in women may include other causes as well:
- Inflamed uterus during pregnancy can cause sensation of fullness.
- Benign tumor of ovary, uterus or bladder.
- Infection in vagina.
- Prolapse of bladder.
It is important to seek medical opinion to evaluate the causes of bladder fullness, so that appropriate treatment can be given.
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