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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
Diagnosis and Tests
- Urine Cytology (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Urine Metanephrines (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
-
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)
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)
Genetics
-
Ochoa syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
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)
- Article: Pilot Study: Long-Term Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Urine: A Threat for...
- Article: Plasma and urine metabolomic analyses in aortic valve stenosis reveal shared...
- Article: Assessment of the lower urinary tract symptoms after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy:...
- Urine and Urination -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Find a Urologist (Urology Care Foundation)
-
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Children
- Chyluria (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
-
Hydronephrosis in Newborns
(National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)
- Urine Test: Dipstick (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Men
- Urinary Dysfunction (Prostate Cancer Foundation)
Older Adults
-
13 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