Symptoms of Bladder Problems

Bladder Symptoms 

The following is a list of bladder symptoms, categorized by diseases, conditions or disorders that affect bladder health.

There are more than 900 conditions that cause bladder symptoms. Topics covered here include the most common bladder problems, and should not be considered exhaustive.

Bladder infection symptoms A bladder infection is also known as a urinary tract infection or UTI (although a kidney infection can also be a "UTI"). The term "cystitis," or bladder inflammation, is also often used. A bladder infection is caused by bacteria that invade the urinary tract and multiply. Symptoms include:

• a frequent urge to urinate, even though very little urine may pass
• a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during urination.
• burning or stinging pelvic pain, even when you're not urinating
• urine may look milky, cloudy, or even reddish (because blood is sometimes present)
• fatigue and weakness
• men sometimes feel a fullness in the rectum
• women often feel an uncomfortable pressure above the pubic bone  

Normally, a bladder infection will not cause a fever. If you experience any of the above symptoms along with fever, nausea and vomiting, see a doctor right away. You may have a kidney infection, which can be a lot more dangerous than a bladder infection. 

Overactive bladder symptoms Overactive bladder is also known as urinary incontinence. Overactive bladder is characterized by a sudden, uncontrolled muscle contraction of the bladder wall, causing an urgent need to urinate. In many cases, you'll feel this urinary urgency even if there's little urine in the bladder. A wide variety of overactive bladder products are available comercially.  

Overactive bladder is also sometimes called urge incontinence. Nocturia, or the need to urinate during night, is another symptom of overactive bladder.

Bladder cancer symptoms Symptoms of bladder cancer are similar to many other disorders. So, if you experience any of the following symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you have bladder cancer. But you should certainly let your doctor know about it.

Symptoms of bladder cancer include the following.

• You experience hematuria, or blood in the urine.
• Stinging pain or a burning sensation when urinating. This, of course, is the classic sign of a bladder infection. But if other bladder infection symptoms are not present, it could be a sign of something more serious, including bladder cancer.
• There's a change in bladder habits. You may notice that you have to urinate more often. You may also notice a strong urge to urinate without producing much urine.

Prolapsed bladder symptoms This is also called "dropped bladder," and it is a condition that affects women. A bladder prolapse happens when the walls of the vagina become weakened (often due to childbirth) and the bladder slips out of position. Bladder tissue may be exposed through the vagina, and sometimes the tissue becomes raw, inflamed and painful.

Other symptoms include

• urine leakage
• stress incontinence (release of urine when laughing, coughing and doing other activities that push the abdominal muscles down
• pressure on the vagina

Paruresis symptoms This is a condition that's more commonly known as "shy bladder." Individuals with paruresis find it difficult or impossible to urinate when others are nearby. The condition also occurs when traveling in a vehicle. It is considered a social anxiety disorder. It is estimated that more than 15 million people in the United States have some form of paruresis.

Bibliography and Resources

Cure Urinary Incontinence Naturally by Grace Emerson

Mind Over Bladder: I Never Met a Bathroom I Didn't Like! by Jill Maura Rabin

The Paruresis Treatment System by Rich Presta 

UrologyHealth.org

The Kidney and Urology Foundation of America

The American Urological Association

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