As I get older, I can’t help but notice that my body isn’t quite performing the way it used to. (50 year old male here) now aside from the increased frequency of urination which is quite normal, I’ve noticed that I can not urinate with the vigour that I once did, and that splash back from a urinal is no longer a problem. I used to enjoy peeing into the toilet bowl as it foams up. The other thing I noticed, is that after I wake up and have my first pee, I find that 5 minutes later, I seem to have produced another cup which urgently wants to be released.
I suspect heavy beer drinking in my earlier years have stretched my bladder, and I am now living with the consequences. Is that possibly true?
I might add that I no longer drink, and I have no problems with my liver, or any other loss of performance with my plumbing.
You may have BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy). You should see a urologist. Get your PSA measured, and if necessary, an ultrasound and biopsy. Not to alarm you, but it’s possible it may be something more serious.
First make an appt with your family physician. Tell him your concerns. He or she can then refer you to an urologist, if necessary.
Frequent urination is also a sympton of diabetes.
Now, about that other plumbing? It’s on it’s way out. Face it.
Anyway, fifty ain’t all that old! Fifty-five year old here.
Peace,
mangeorge
“As I get older, I can’t help but notice that my body isn’t quite performing the way it used to. (50 year old male here) now aside from the increased frequency of urination which is quite normal, I’ve noticed that I can not urinate with the vigour that I once did, and that splash back from a urinal is no longer a problem. I used to enjoy peeing into the toilet bowl as it foams up. The other thing I noticed, is that after I wake up and have my first pee, I find that 5 minutes later, I seem to have produced another cup which urgently wants to be released.”
You report A. increased frequency, B. decreased force, and C. incomplete bladder emptying. A is probably just a manifestation of C.
What can cause this? A little reflection suggests two possibilities: 1. decreased bladder contractility so that the urine is not squeezed out as forcefully or completely as it used to be, or 2. partial obstruction of the outlet from the bladder so that urine cannot come out as forcefully or completely as it used to.
Both mechanisms are possible. One way to test is to put a probe into your bladder and measure the pressure as you urinate. If the pressure is low, the ansewr is #1; if the pressure is high, the answer is #2. However, because beer drinking does not overstretch the bladder and because #2 (due to BPH) is so much more common than #1, such a test may not be needed.
In any case, a urologist or an experienced internest/general practicioner/family practicioner (particularly one with a lot of older patients) should be able to help you out a lot. Good luck.
I’ve heard that something like a third of all men will eventually develop prostate problems in their lifetime, with symptoms much like what you describe, so you’re not alone. Usually, it’s benign (other than the annoying symptoms), but it can also be the early stages of cancer, so you should definitely get it checked.
