What can cause a male to have trouble urinating?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Updated on February 26, 2026
Some of the most common causes for difficulty in urination for men include:
- Enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Prostate cancer or tumor.
- Constipation.
- Bladder disease.
- Kidney stones.
- Medications.
- Urethral infection.
- Sexually transmitted disease.
How do you treat voiding dysfunction?
Treatments include:
- Bladder training: You can retrain the muscles in your bladder to help them hold urine longer or urinate more easily.
- Pelvic floor therapy: A specialized physical therapist can teach you to relax the muscles in your pelvic floor to urinate more easily.
What causes dysfunctional voiding?
Possible physical and anatomical causes for voiding dysfunction are: An abnormality in urinary tract anatomy, such as vesicoureteral reflux. Spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other brain or spinal cord conditions that influence the way nerves interact with the bladder or urinary tract.
Is it bad if your bladder doesn’t empty completely?
Or the bladder can be unable to contract and/or empty completely. If it becomes too full, urine may back up into the kidneys. The extra pressure can cause damage to the tiny blood vessels in the kidney. Or urine that stays too long may lead to an infection in the bladder or ureters.
What are the symptoms of voiding?
Voiding symptoms, which are caused by lower urinary tract obstruction, include slow stream, splitting or spraying, intermittency, hesitancy, straining, and terminal dribble.
What to do if a man can’t pee?
If you can’t pass urine, emergency treatment includes insertion of a tube (catheter) through the tip of your penis and into your bladder. This tube helps urine drain from your bladder.
How do I completely empty my male bladder?
Techniques for Complete Bladder Emptying
- Timed voids.
- Double void.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Have a bowel movement every day.
- Comfort and privacy are necessary to empty completely.
- Leaning forward (and rocking) may promote urination.
What can cause sexual dysfunction in men?
Low testosterone levels.
Why do so many younger men have erectile dysfunction?
For many young men, performance anxiety plays a large role in erectile dysfunction. Other factors include money and work problems, as well as relationship issues and even issues about sexual orientation.
What can men do for erectile dysfunction?
Treatment & Care. Learn more about these medications that can help men with erectile dysfunction. Alprostadil for ED Alprostadil, available as an injection or a suppository, is a drug that makes the blood vessels expand. That boosts blood flow throughout the body, including the penis, so it helps men with ED have an erection.
Why do some men have erectile dysfunction?
Decreased blood flow, typically because vessels that supply blood to the penis have narrowed, is often the cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) in older men. Emotional issues are more commonly at the root of it for younger men.
