Important
A reduced flow of urine can affect men of all ages, however, almost all older men have some trouble with dribbling, a weak urine stream, and hesitancy to urinate.
Men having problems with reduced urine flow should go to their general practitioner (GP) or other health care professional to find out what is causing it and how it can be treated.
If the man is in distress, get help straight away.
What do you do if the man you support has reduced urine flow?
- Talk about care with your supervisor, their care coordinator or a health care professional.
- Manage constipation issues, as reduced urine flow could be caused by stored faeces blocking the urethra from the outside and not allowing the urine to come out.
- Check if they have started any new medicines. Don’t stop the medicines, but tell the person’s GP if they develop problems with their urine flow.
Why might they have reduced urine flow?
Reduced urine flow can be caused by many things, including:
- prostate problems. For more information, go to Prostate.
- infection of the prostate or a urinary tract infection (UTI). For more information go to Urinary tract infections.
- constipation or faecal impaction
- taking medicines that can interfere with how the bladder works, e.g. some medicines used to treat incontinence and colds
- medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or a spinal injury
- scar tissue in the urethra, usually caused by trauma and sometimes surgery.
Need more help? Call the National Continence Helpline on 18OO 33 OO 66 and talk to a continence nurse advisor.
