Highlights of this issue
◎ The root cause of most urinary problems is congestion
◎ The harm of long-term development of urinary symptoms
◎ Who are the most susceptible groups to urinary problems
◎ How to fundamentally solve most urinary problems
With the deterioration of the environment and the changes in contemporary people’s living habits such as diet and exercise, more and more people are deeply troubled by urinary problems, but some patients either feel that their problems cannot be solved, or simply ignore and do not deal with them, and regard them as their “unspeakable secrets”, which leads to repeated aggravation of symptoms until they seriously affect their daily lives.
In this article today, Dianhetang will answer 10 of the most critical urinary problems to help high-risk groups and patients better prevent and solve urinary diseases.
10 Key Questions about Urinary Problems
01
What is the root cause of most urinary problems?
Are you or your family suffering from symptoms such as frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, waiting to urinate, interrupted urination, thin urine stream, weak urine, dribbling urine, incomplete urination, bifurcated urine, urine leakage, frequent urination at night, hematuria, urinary incontinence, enuresis, etc.?
Although some endocrine problems, neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases, and urinary tract infections can also cause urination symptoms, generally speaking, most urination abnormalities are caused by diseases of the urogenital system organs such as the kidneys, urethra, bladder, prostate, or abnormal functions of nearby muscle groups.
In addition to urethral and bladder diseases, urogenital system problems also include kidney stones, chronic prostatitis, prostatic hyperplasia, etc., as well as detrusor and sphincter relaxation and edema that are common in women who have given birth and the elderly. These problems will cause the various urination symptoms mentioned above. These urinary and reproductive system problems with different onset sites often share a common underlying cause – stagnation.
Stagnation occurs all the time in normal metabolism and aging. Bad living habits can greatly aggravate the occurrence of stasis. When stasis accumulates to a certain extent, it will affect the local microcirculation, deteriorate the internal environment of tissues and organs, and affect the normal function of tissues and organs. Over time, it will cause various diseases. The specific location and form of stasis are different, and the diseases caused and the symptoms manifested will be different.
02
How does stasis cause many urinary problems?
Abnormal urination is mostly caused by lesions in the tissues and organs of the urinary system, and the fundamental problem of these tissues and organs is basically stagnation. Therefore, the root cause of most urination problems may be stagnation.
Prostate
When stasis occurs in the prostate, metabolites and waste toxins such as prostatic fluid or semen or refluxed urine secreted by the prostate will worsen the internal environment of the gland, lead to metabolic disorders, damage gland function, and stimulate and compress the urethra. and nerves. It will produce urinary symptoms including frequent urination, urgent urination and incomplete urination, as well as pain in the affected area and nearby areas, abnormal sexual function and other symptoms, among which urinary symptoms are the most typical and significant.
Bladder, urethra, sphincter, etc.
When the microcirculation of the detrusor and sphincter of the urinary system such as the bladder and urethra is impaired, the blood supply to the corresponding muscles will be blocked, the nutrition and oxygen supply will be insufficient, and the metabolites will be blocked, which will cause muscle relaxation or edema, impaired function, and the blocked toxins will stimulate and compress the nerves, leading to muscle dysfunction, resulting in severe symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, incomplete urination, incontinence, and frequent urination at night.
Urinary stones
When the concentration of some components in urine (such as calcium, oxalic acid, uric acid and cystine, etc.) increases or the solubility decreases, it becomes supersaturated and crystals are precipitated. These crystals accumulate in the kidneys and eventually form kidney stones. Kidney stones fall from the kidneys to the ureters and get stuck in narrow places, forming ureteral stones. This can cause symptoms of urination such as hematuria, frequent urination, urgency, pain when urinating, and sudden anuria; as well as common symptoms of soreness and discomfort in the waist and intermittent pain in the back and back. Some patients may also experience nausea and vomiting.
03
What other diseases can cause urinary symptoms?
Although most urination problems are caused by stagnation in the urinary system, in order to prevent patients from misjudging their own conditions and delaying treatment, here are some typical diseases and problems that are not caused by stagnation but can also cause urination symptoms, to help you make a distinction:
| Non-stasis problems | Distinguishing points |
| Organic damage | ① Compared with frequent urination and incomplete urination, the urination symptoms caused by organic damage are mostly hematuria or extravasation of urine to the anterior perineum and lower abdomen.② If the anterior urethra is injured, the pain will radiate to the glans penis. If the posterior urethra is injured, the pain will radiate to the anus, lower abdomen, etc.③ Severe organic damage may cause hemorrhagic shock in patients. |
| Acute urinary tract infection | Obvious burning pain when urinating;② The infection can also cause systemic symptoms such as headache, nausea, fever, and chills.Note: Some urogenital diseases caused by stasis may also be accompanied by infection. In this case, normal treatment for clearing stasis should be supplemented with treatment for infection.（For example, the rational use of antibiotics） |
| Congenital urethral stricture | The typical urination symptoms of this disease are dysuria, urinary interruption, or even inability to urinate, which may be confused with prostate hyperplasia.It is difficult to clearly distinguish the two from the symptoms. It is best to confirm whether there is a problem of urethral stricture through urethral probe examination, urethrography, ultrasound examination, endoscopy, etc. |
| Neurogenic bladder | ① Its typical symptoms mainly include frequent urination, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, etc., which are easily confused with prostate diseases. If such symptoms occur, it is best to seek medical diagnosis;② In addition to the above symptoms, this disease may also be accompanied by intestinal symptoms, and may even cause fecal incontinence, loss of perineal sensation, and limb paralysis. |
| Diabetes | The main urination symptom of diabetes is “polyuria”, which is caused by abnormal glucose metabolism and thirst and frequent drinking.② Diabetes can also cause symptoms such as dizziness and weakness due to high or low blood sugar levels;③ Another typical systemic symptom of diabetic patients is that they eat a lot but become thinner.Note: If the above-mentioned symptoms are present in addition to urination symptoms, diabetes must be ruled out as a factor in time to avoid delaying treatment and causing more dangerous conditions such as ketoacidosis and coma. |
04
What are the types of urinary incontinence?
| Classification | Specific Description |
| Stress Urinary Incontinence（SUI） | Stress urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary leakage of urine from the urethra when the abdominal pressure increases due to sneezing, coughing, laughing, exercise or physical activity. This is because the muscles and other tissues supporting the urethra (pelvic floor muscles) or the muscles controlling the urethra (urethral sphincter) are weakened. When the intra-abdominal pressure suddenly increases, they cannot control the urine, resulting in urine leakage. It is more common in women. |
| Urge incontinence（UUI） | Urge incontinence is a manifestation of overactive bladder, or symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency caused by excessive bladder muscle tension and improper cooperation of the urethral sphincter. It often occurs in stroke patients. |
| Overflow incontinence（Pseudoincontinence） | Overflow incontinence refers to chronic urine retention caused by urethral obstruction (urethral stenosis, prostatic hyperplasia) and bladder contraction weakness. When the bladder is extremely full, the pressure inside the bladder exceeds the resistance of the normal urethral sphincter, causing urine to overflow from the urethra. Long-term elevated bladder pressure can cause upper urinary tract obstruction and damage renal function. Common clinical causes include prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, and neurogenic bladder. |
| Mixed urinary incontinence（MUI） | Mixed urinary incontinence mainly refers to patients with multiple types of urinary incontinence. |
Most cases of urinary incontinence are caused by sphincter relaxation and male prostate disease. The root cause of both is congestion. Urinary incontinence can be regarded as one of the most embarrassing and serious urination symptoms. Therefore, once there are mild abnormal urination symptoms, timely intervention should be made and congestion removal treatment should be performed as soon as possible to prevent the occurrence of such serious symptoms.
05
What serious consequences can long-term urination problems cause?
| Urinary tract infection |
| If urination is difficult for a long time, it may cause bacterial ascending infection, leading to urethritis, cystitis or even nephritis; bacteria may also damage the bladder mucosa, thereby causing or aggravating other urination symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency. |
| Urinary tract stones |
| Under normal circumstances, crystals and even microliths often appear in the urine, and they are easily excreted with urine during normal urination. Therefore, if urination is not smooth for a long time, or even urine retention occurs, it is easy for various toxins, crystals and microliths in the urine to remain in the urinary tract, which may develop into stones over time. |
| Bladder congestion |
| Long-term oliguria or even inability to urinate can lead to urine retention in the bladder, causing increased bladder pressure, resulting in thinning of the bladder wall or overfilling of the bladder, which can easily lead to swelling and congestion of the bladder wall. |
| Hydronephrosis |
| Prostatic hyperplasia, urinary tract stones and urogenital diseases may lead to hydronephrosis due to poor urination. If hydronephrosis is not cured for a long time, it may lead to the following serious consequences:① Kidney stones: Long-term hydronephrosis will change the pH value of urine, making it easier for mineral crystals to precipitate and form kidney stones. Once kidney stones occur, they will pose a greater threat to the patient’s health, and symptoms such as pain, hematuria, and fever may occur.② Long-term acute pyelonephritis of the kidney: Due to the accumulation of water, bacteria can easily grow and multiply in the kidney, thus causing acute pyelonephritis. If not treated in time, it may lead to serious complications such as low back pain, high fever, and even perinephric abscess.If not treated promptly, it may lead to serious complications such as low back pain, high fever, and even perinephric abscess. ③ Urinary tract obstruction: Hydronephrosis may also cause urinary tract obstruction in other parts of the body, such as vesicoureteral reflux, urinary tract stenosis, etc. These complications will further aggravate the condition and affect the patient’s recovery.④ Chronic renal insufficiency: If hydronephrosis persists and is not effectively treated, it will cause kidney damage and gradually develop into chronic renal insufficiency. At this time, the patient will experience symptoms such as anemia, edema, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, oliguria or even anuria, which will seriously affect the quality of life and even endanger life. ⑤ Uremia: Hydronephrosis may cause obstruction of the urinary system, leading to low filtration rate, electrolyte imbalance and renal failure, and further causing uremia. ⑥ Malignant lesions: Hydronephrosis also increases the risk of malignant diseases such as kidney cancer and bladder cancer. |
06
Who are the people who are most likely to have urinary problems?
| People with bad living habits |
| People who have bad habits such as eating spicy food, irregular meals, staying up late, overwork, etc. are more likely to suffer from stasis than the average person. Stasis in the urinary system will lead to various urinary diseases, causing symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and incomplete urination. |
| Women who have given birth |
| Women who have given birth have experienced a long pregnancy. During pregnancy, the uterus is enlarged by the fetus and compresses the digestive system, causing indigestion and constipation, affecting normal metabolism. Pregnant women need to provide enough nutrition and energy for the fetus, which leads to the inhibition of some metabolic processes in the body of pregnant women, so the metabolic rate of pregnant women usually decreases. In addition, the weight of the fetus and amniotic fluid makes the pelvic floor bear a lot of weight for a long time, which causes compression and poor local circulation. All of these can easily cause congestion in the whole body of the pregnant woman, especially the urogenital system, which leads to relaxation of the sphincter and causes symptoms such as urinary incontinence and urinary incontinence. |
| Sedentary people |
| Sitting for a long time can cause long-term compression of the urinary and reproductive organs, which can easily lead to congestion and urinary symptoms. For men, in addition to simple urinary symptoms, prostate diseases can also be caused by long-term compression from sitting, so in addition to urination symptoms, there may also be symptoms such as perineum and lower back pain, and sexual dysfunction. |
| People who drink alcohol frequently |
| Especially for men, alcohol can easily cause prostate congestion. Repeated congestion will aggravate congestion, which will cause prostate problems over time, resulting in various urination symptoms. |
| Sexual indulgence crowd |
| Excessive sexual indulgence can also cause repeated congestion of the male prostate, aggravating congestion and leading to various discomforts in urination. |
| Elderly |
| Because the elderly have reduced physical functions and slower circulation and metabolism, they are more prone to congestion than young people, resulting in uncomfortable symptoms such as difficulty urinating and urinary incontinence. |
| People who are used to holding their urine |
| Holding urine not only makes it easy for bacteria to breed and cause urinary tract infection, but repeated infection may lead to chronic inflammation of the urinary system, increase the possibility of blockage, and then cause other chronic urinary problems, bringing various urination symptoms; At the same time, holding urine will also lead to high urine concentration, and harmful components such as small crystals, uric acid, urea, etc. will be retained in the urinary tract for a long time, which is easy to cause chronic bladder inflammation or urinary diseases such as bladder stones, resulting in discomfort during urination. |
07
What are the common treatments for urinary problems?
| Treatment | Targeting symptoms | Treatment Principle |
| Alpha-blockers | Difficulty urinating | By inhibiting the adrenergic receptors on the smooth muscle surface of the prostate and bladder neck, it reduces prostate tension and bladder outlet obstruction, lowers urethral resistance, and temporarily relieves the symptoms of urinary difficulty.Effect: Temporary.It can only temporarily improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence. |
| Chinese patent medicine with diuretic effect | Difficulty urinating | This type of Chinese patent medicine is often composed mainly of ingredients such as plantain seed, corn silk, and coix seed that have dehumidifying and diuretic functions, which can play a certain role in alleviating patients’ urination difficulties.Effect: One-sidedSimply using diuretics cannot completely eliminate all the stagnation in the body, so it cannot fundamentally solve the problem. |
| Anticonvulsant drugs | Frequent urination and urgency | The principle of this type of drug is to relieve bladder spasms and temporarily relieve bladder irritation symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency.Effect: TemporaryIt can only temporarily improve the symptoms of frequent and urgent urination. |
| Drugs that alkalinize urine | Frequent urination and urgency | Acidic urine often has a stimulating effect on the bladder. Using drugs such as sodium bicarbonate and potassium citrate to alkalize the urine can temporarily relieve symptoms of bladder irritation, reduce symptoms of frequent urination and urgency, and also have a certain effect in inhibiting bacterial growth.Effect: TemporaryOnly temporarily relieves symptoms of frequent urination and urgency |
| Kegel exercises | Leaking urine | Kegel exercises stretch the pubococcygeus muscles of the pelvic floor to increase muscle tone and relieve symptoms of urinary incontinence.Effect: One-sidedSimple exercise cannot help completely eliminate local congestion, but only has a certain auxiliary effect. Therefore, it can only alleviate the urinary incontinence caused by muscle relaxation due to congestion, but cannot solve it fundamentally. |
Common medicines and treatments for urinary problems do not address the root cause of most urinary problems – stagnation, and are only limited to improving symptoms. Therefore, the improvement of related symptoms is either only temporary or has limited effect.
08
What good habits contribute to urinary health?
| Scientific diet |
| Eating more foods rich in vitamins can help strengthen your body. You should eat more light foods and control the intake of salt and high-protein foods to maintain the urinary tract. Some vegetables and fruits are also beneficial to the urinary system, such as radish, winter melon, watermelon, and pear, which contain a lot of water. After intake, they are helpful to speed up the discharge of urine in the body, prevent the growth of bacteria and accumulation of residues in the urinary system, and are beneficial to the health of the urinary system. Animal offal, seafood, beer, etc. can cause an increase in uric acid, irritate the urinary tract, and cause urinary stones and inflammation. Intake should be reduced. |
| Avoid sitting for long periods of time and exercise appropriately |
| Reducing sitting time can reduce the pressure on the urogenital organs and reduce the resulting stagnation; while more exercise can strengthen the body and reduce the chance of urinary tract infection. For example, you can do pelvic floor exercises, running, and increase abdominal muscle contraction exercises to help empty urine and reduce the stimulation of urine on the bladder. |
| Drink plenty of water |
| Frequent urination can clean the urethra and reduce the concentration of metabolic waste in the urine, thereby reducing irritation to the urinary tract. |
| Less smoking and drinking |
| Alcohol not only causes congestion of the prostate, but also irritates the urethral mucosa, which may cause damage to the urethral mucosa and allow bacteria to enter the urethra and cause urinary tract infection; the nicotine in cigarettes may cause an increase in glomerular filtration rate and increase the risk of kidney disease. |
| Regular medical check-ups |
| Regular physical examinations can help promptly diagnose the causes of various urinary discomfort symptoms so as to carry out more targeted treatment. Because many urinary problems are caused by congestion, but they are likely to be accompanied by infection. In this case, antibiotics are needed for treatment. |
09
How to better solve various urinary problems?
Since most urinary problems are caused by accumulated congestion, if you want to solve urinary problems better and more thoroughly, the most important thing is to clear the congestion while maintaining good living habits.
However, good habits such as a good diet and proper exercise can only assist in removing stasis. To achieve thorough and comprehensive stasis removal, we should combine dispersing and nourishing. Based on the wisdom of traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years and with the help of modern medical perspective, we can summarize several Chinese medicinal raw materials that are particularly good at dispersing, promoting blood circulation, removing dampness, promoting urination, clearing heat, and nourishing:
Bee pollen, dandelion, houttuynia, purslane, poria, platycodon, peach kernel
Among them, bee pollen is known as an “all-round nutritional food”. The last six common plant raw materials are all items that have the same origin as medicine and food and are listed in Appendix 1 of the 《List of Items that Are Both Food and Medicines》 in the 《Notice on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Raw Materials》 published by the Ministry of Health. Suitable for daily use.
However, it is best for ordinary people not to make their own prescriptions. It is difficult for ordinary people to grasp the ratio of medicinal flavors, have no in-depth understanding of pharmacology, and it is difficult to distinguish the quality of medicinal materials. In addition, the effect of medicinal materials is not a simple superposition relationship. It is also difficult for ordinary people to know whether different raw materials will produce certain toxicity when combined together, so the prescription and use still need the help of professionals.
For various urinary problems, at different stages, the role of clearing stagnation is roughly as follows:
【Stage 1】
Relieve irritation and oppression and eliminate most symptoms
The stasis-removing effect at this stage is mainly reflected in removing stagnant metabolites, secretions and other toxins in the organs and tissues, and improving the microcirculation/microenvironment. This relieves the stimulation and compression of nerves and tissues and eliminates most of the various symptoms caused by stasis.
【Stage 2】
Improve functions and steadily eliminate symptoms
The effect of clearing stasis at this stage is mainly reflected in further optimizing the internal environment, improving the body’s self-healing ability, and restoring the body’s functions, thus stably eliminating a small number of remaining minor symptoms and improving systemic chronic inflammation.
【Stage 3】
Prevent stasis and maintain a healthy state of smooth vitality
The desilting effect at this stage is mainly reflected in preventing the occurrence of stasis, improving the body’s circulatory metabolism, and strengthening the immune system, thereby preventing the occurrence of diseases and keeping the body in a smooth, energetic and healthy state.
10
Could I stop treatment if I have no symptoms?
Not recommended. From the above three stages of blood stasis removal treatment, it can be seen that the resolution of symptoms is only the first step of treatment.
The long-term existence of the disease leads to the destruction of the microenvironment and microcirculation of organ tissues, and the overall body function and immunity often decline. Therefore, when the symptoms disappear, it is necessary to continue to remove blood stasis to improve body function and improve immune function. In this way, these invisible and almost symptom-free problems can be gradually improved and resolved, so as to fundamentally solve the disease and prevent the recurrence of old diseases.
At the same time, continued removal of stasis can also prevent the occurrence of new stasis and prevent the recurrence of urinary diseases or other stasis-related diseases in the future.[1]，It can also make the whole body healthier and more energetic, so clearing away stagnation is a daily health habit that should be maintained for a long time.
Knowledge Development
[1]Common problems caused by blockage
When the stasis is mild, it can lead to sub-health problems such as fear of cold, cold hands and feet, sexual dysfunction, chloasma, acne, hair loss, back pain, lower abdominal pain, pelvic effusion, joint effusion, etc. If the stasis is severe, it may cause various chronic diseases such as prostate disease, urinary system disease, gynecological disease, gout, cysts, stones, etc.
