What Causes Difficulty Passing Urine?

Posted on Sat, 29 Mar 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 29 Mar 2014 Answered on

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My wife who is 78 years old is suddenly having difficulty passing urine. She has been drinking large quantities of water but is still unable to pass. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Does she feel the urge to urinate? Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for this query. I am so sorry to hear about what your wife is experiencing. There are a couple of reasons why she may be unable to urinate. 1. If she feels the urge to urinate and doesn't urinate, then she may have urinary retention. This is often associated with pain. In this case, she needs immediate medical attention. 2. If she has no urge to urinate and is not swollen, then she might be dehydrated. However, if she is developing edema, it might be that the kidneys are unable to produce urine leading to this. This would also need further investigation to address this. In all, I will suggest that you get her evaluated. A good clinical exam and some basic blood tests would be able to tell what the cause is and guide towards establishing and executing a treatment plan. So, either she is not drinking enough(dehydration), or the kidneys are unable to produce urine(kidney disease) or there is an obstruction too urine outflow(urinary retention). Get her evaluated for diagnosis and management. A primary health care physician would be able to adequately address this. I hope this helps. I wish you both well. feel free to ask for ore information if need be. Thanks. Dr. Ivo, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T