Slow Urination

All You Need to Know About Slow Urination


Anyone who has been faced with the problem of slow urination knows just how inconvenient and embarrassing this condition can be.  This condition occurs in males and can happen to anyone, regardless of age.  Most of the sufferers of this condition, however, are at least 50 years old.  The human body naturally begins to show signs of wear and tear as it ages, and no one is exempt.  Conditions such as slow urination develop and become annoyances in people’s lives.  What’s worse is that this condition may not be due to age at all, but is instead due to other, more serious problems.  This article will discuss the symptoms and causes of and treatments for slow urination, for the purpose of shining a light onto this common and uncomfortable ailment.



Slow urination is marked most noticeably by a reduced speed or force of urination (as the name suggests).  There are other symptoms, though, that may also be apparent.  Some sufferers of this ailment have reported that they felt a pressure in their groin that was constant.  Others have reported pain in the groin area, particularly when they urinated.  While these additional symptoms are not always present (you can urinate slowly without experiencing pain), most of the time they will indicate problems that are causing the difficulty with urination.


There are multiple medical conditions that can cause slow urination in individuals.  The most common cause by far is an enlarged prostate.  Your prostate is an endocrine gland that works with your reproductive system (in males only).  It is located below the bladder, in front of the rectum, and – most importantly – right above your urethra. In fact, the urethra actually runs through the prostate, which is why an enlarged prostate can reduce the pressure behind your urine stream or slow it down entirely. This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia.  Along these lines, an inflammation of the urethra – caused by bacterial or viral infection – can also result in urination that is slower than usual.  Furthermore, a loss of bladder elasticity, caused primarily by old age, can result in slower urination that normal.  Problems with urination can also occur in women due to urinary tract infections, but they are much more common in men.



There are other, more serious causes of urination that is slow.  Your prostate in particular is vulnerable to prostate cancer, which can give you symptoms that are far worse than urinating slowly.  It also causes blood in the urine, pain, and sexual dysfunction.  If you are experiencing problems with urination, and they are prolonged and frequent, then you should consult a doctor, who can perform tests and possibly a biopsy to determine if it is in fact prostate cancer.


There are treatments for routine urination problems that do not involve surgery or biopsies, though. If you have an enlarged prostate, you can take alpha blockers – which relax the prostate muscle – or undergo a transurethral needle ablation.  This procedure causes cells to die in the prostate so that when the prostate heals, it is smaller than it was before. Procedures such as this are actually pretty common, but medication is usually the first line of defense.  If you have a bacterial or viral infection of the urethra, then you will need to take antibiotics or antivirals to assist with your recovery. You can also make adjustments to your lifestyle.  Refrain from drinking a lot of liquids before going to bed. Also, limit how much caffeine or alcohol you consume; these can make the situation worse.


In conclusion, slow urination is a condition that can occur in women and men, but most frequently in men. The most prevalent cause of this condition is an enlarged prostate, which can be dealt with via medication, medical procedures, or lifestyle changes. With this information, you can better prepare yourself to deal with urinating slowly should it happen to you.