Urine and Urination

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Basics

Summary
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Diagnosis and Tests
Treatments and Therapies

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Specifics
Genetics

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Summary

Your kidneys make urine by filtering wastes and extra water from your blood. The waste is called urea. Your blood carries it to the kidneys. From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to urinate. It swells into a round shape when it is full and gets smaller when empty. If your urinary system is healthy, your bladder can hold up to 16 ounces (2 cups) of urine comfortably for 2 to 5 hours.

You may have problems with urination if you have:

Kidney failure
Urinary tract infections
An enlarged prostate
Bladder control problems like incontinence, overactive bladder, or interstitial cystitis
A blockage that prevents you from emptying your bladder

Some conditions may also cause you to have blood or protein in your urine. If you have a urinary problem, see your health care provider. Urinalysis and other urine tests can help to diagnose the problem. Treatment depends on the cause.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Urinary Tract and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Urination Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Urine Color (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Urine Odor (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Diagnosis and Tests

Urodynamic Testing (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Treatments and Therapies

Urinalysis: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Urinary Diversion (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Fainting during Urination (Micturition Syncope): What Causes It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Foamy Urine: What Does It Mean? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Frequent Urination (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Urinary Retention (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Ochoa syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

Study Discovers Gene that Helps Us Know when It's Time to Urinate (National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Dysuria (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Urination (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Urination Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Urine (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

Chyluria (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Hydronephrosis in Newborns (National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse) Also in Spanish
Urine Test: Dipstick (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Men

Urinary Dysfunction (Prostate Cancer Foundation)

Older Adults

15 Tips to Keep Your Bladder Healthy (National Institute on Aging)

Patient Handouts

Clean catch urine sample (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Frequent or urgent urination (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
RBC urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urinalysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urinary catheters (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urinary Retention (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Urinating more at night (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urination - difficulty with flow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urination - painful (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine - bloody (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine 24-hour volume (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Urine odor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish