Having Difficulty Emptying Your Bladder?

If you are having trouble emptying your bladder, you could be suffering from a rare neurological condition called cauda equina syndrome (CES). If you do have the symptoms associated with CES, you must seek urgent medical advice.

Urinary dysfunction

There are a number of conditions which can cause urinary dysfunction. One of the most common is a urinary tract infection, which will make it painful to urinate. There will also be a desire to urinate frequently, but only a small volume of urine will be produced.

One of the more rare conditions which can cause urinary dysfunction is cauda equina syndrome. This is when the nerves at the bottom of the spine are compressed by something such as a slipped disc or spinal tumour.

Urinary dysfunction associated with cauda equina syndrome will result in the following problems:

• Altered urethral sensation
• Loss of desire to void
• Hesitancy and poor urinary flow
• Loss of sensation of bladder fullness
• Feeling of retention or incomplete voiding
• Need to strain to void

Therefore if you are experiencing urinary dysfunction, it may be from a minor condition such as a urinary tract infection. Alternatively, it may be from a very serious condition such as cauda equina syndrome.

To check that you do not need urgent decompression of the cauda equina nerves, you must consider whether or not you have the other symptoms associated with cauda equina syndrome.

Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome

Cauda equina syndrome will cause both urinary and bowel dysfunction. Because humans tend to empty their bladders much more frequently (five to six times a day) than their bowels (around once a day), bladder dysfunction is a more apparent symptom than bowel dysfunction. Cauda equina syndrome will also cause a loss of sensation around the genitals, buttocks, perineum and rectum.

Along with the aforementioned symptoms of urinary dysfunction, the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome are:

• Peri-rectal numbness
• Loss of rectal control
• Sensory abnormalities in the rectum/anal canal
• Loss of ability to achieve or maintain an erection
• Loss of sensation of orgasm
• Saddle anaesthesia – loss of sensation around the anus, vulva and buttocks

Have you got these symptoms?

If you have these symptoms, you must head directly to Accident and Emergency. There you should have an urgent MRI scan and, if CES is diagnosed, undergo emergency decompression surgery.

If you do have cauda equina syndrome but medical professionals fail to take this course of action, there will be a case of medical negligence. Contact us today to find out more.

Please call us free on 0800 234 3300, from a mobile click to call 01275 334030 or complete our Free Online Enquiry for a no cost, no obligation opinion.

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