Bladder fullness is a feeling that arises when your bladder gets filled with urine and it produces an urge to urinate. Feeling of fullness of urinary bladder is normal in every person as the bladder gets filled to its maximum capacity. It gives an indication that a person needs to void urine. Although the bladder can stretch to a certain point if you want to delay urination for some time, the feeling intensifies to an extent that the person cannot bear it any longer and may pass urine involuntarily.
The sensation of bladder fullness in some people may occur even after urination.
Some underlying causes are similar in both males as well as female; however, due to their different genitourinary structures some causes are specifically related to females or males.
How The Bladder Fills With Urine?
The 2 kidneys are at work constantly to produce urine. Urine passes from kidney to ureter and it is retained for a short interval in urinary bladder, a bag like structure.
When the bladder gets filled with urine, the muscular walls are stretched. The cells inside the bladder wall detect the stretching and send an indication to the brain that the bladder is full and it is time to urinate. The normal capacity of bladder is to store 500 ml of urine, but it can stretch to some extent.
Sensation of fullness in bladder begins when 350 ml of urine gets collected in the bladder. The sensation increases as more urine begins to fill in the bladder. The intense sensation is reduces once urine is passed out. However, sometimes if there is some amount of urine is left inside the bladder, there may be sensation as if the bladder is still full. This may occur due to following causes mentioned below.
Why Am I Feeling Bladder Fullness After Urination?
The feeling of fullness even after urination can arise from several causes. There are three fundamental reasons for it:
- If the bladder is not able to completely empty urine.
- Irritation in the bladder wall.
- Pressure from organs such as uterus, intestine, etc that surround the bladder.
Below are some of the common ailments that may lead to incomplete sensation of passage of urine.
- Prostate enlargement and prostate cancer in men.
- Infection and inflammation of bladder.
- Infection in urethra.
- Stone in bladder.
- Cancer of urinary bladder.
- Damage of the nerve innervating urinary bladder. It controls bladder function.
- Injury in bladder or urethra due to instrumentation.
Bladder fullness after urination may also arise in woman due to problems in surrounding structures. It may cause pressure or irritation on the bladder.
- Malignant or benign tumor of ovary, uterus.
- Enlarged uterus in pregnancy can cause pressure on bladder.
- Prolapse of bladder, which in medical parlance is called cystocele.