UNDERSTANDING UROLOGY

Urinary symptoms & leakage

Bladder leakage and other urinary symptoms are common in both men and women, and they can often be improved. They are not an unavoidable part of getting older, and there is no need to feel embarrassed about asking for help.

What you may notice

Leaking when you cough, laugh, lift or exercise
A sudden, strong urge to pass urine, sometimes leaking before you reach the toilet
Passing urine often during the day or night
A weak or slow flow, straining, dribbling, or feeling the bladder has not emptied – in men often linked to the prostate
Frequent small leaks from a bladder that does not empty fully

Get help quickly if

You suddenly cannot pass urine, or your lower tummy is painful and swollen – this is an emergency
New leakage with numbness or weakness in the legs, or loss of bowel control – this is an emergency
Blood in the urine
Fever, or pain when passing urine

In an emergency in Kuwait, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department.

How it is usually assessed

A discussion of your symptoms and how they affect you
A bladder diary recording what you drink and when you pass urine
A urine test and an examination, including of the prostate in men
A scan to see how well the bladder empties
Sometimes flow tests, specialist bladder pressure tests (urodynamics) or a cystoscopy

Treatment options

First steps often include lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises and bladder training. Medicines can calm an overactive bladder or help with prostate-related symptoms. If these do not help, further options depend on the cause and can include botulinum toxin injections into the bladder for an overactive bladder, nerve stimulation, or surgery, such as procedures for stress leakage or for an enlarged prostate.

What you can do

Cut down on caffeine, fizzy drinks and alcohol
Do not cut down on fluids too much – very concentrated urine can irritate the bladder
If you wake at night to pass urine, drink less in the two hours before bed
Aim for a healthy weight and practise pelvic floor exercises

Based on NHS patient information: nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/

This page is general information, not a personal medical assessment. Speak with a clinician about your own situation before starting or changing any treatment.