Urinary bladder disorders

Urinary retention is a condition where your bladder doesn’t empty all the way or at all when you urinate (pee). Your bladder is like a storage tank for your pee (or urine). Pee is made up of the waste that your kidneys filter from your body. After your kidneys make your pee, it moves to your bladder where it sits until you empty it. Your urethra is the tube that carries your pee from your bladder out of your body.

When you have urinary retention, it can be acute (sudden) or chronic (long-term). Acute means that it comes on quickly and it can be severe. Chronic urinary retention means that your symptoms are more gradual. Blockages, medications and nerve problems are common reasons a person may have urinary retention.

The acute form of urinary retention is an emergency. In this case, you’ll need to see a healthcare provider right away. Chronic urinary retention is most common in people assigned male at birth (AMAB) who are between 60 and 80 years old. But it can still occur in people assigned female at birth (AFAB).