What is the term for the state of difficulty initiating the flow of urine, often due to a blockage such as benign prostatic hyperplasia?

What is the term for the state of difficulty initiating the flow of urine, often due to a blockage such as benign prostatic hyperplasia?

• A. Dysuria
• B. Hesitancy
• C. Urinary incontinence
• D. Polyuria

Answer: (B)

Difficulty starting to urinate, especially when a bladder outlet obstruction slows the beginning of the stream, is called hesitancy. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, the enlarged prostate narrows the prostatic urethra, making it hard to initiate the flow. Patients may also strain or have a weak or intermittent stream, and may feel they haven’t fully emptied the bladder, but the defining feature is the delay in starting urination. Dysuria would mean pain or burning with urination, urinary incontinence means involuntary leakage, and polyuria means producing abnormally large volumes of urine; none of these describe the initial difficulty beginning the stream.

Difficulty starting to urinate, especially when a bladder outlet obstruction slows the beginning of the stream, is called hesitancy. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, the enlarged prostate narrows the prostatic urethra, making it hard to initiate the flow. Patients may also strain or have a weak or intermittent stream, and may feel they haven’t fully emptied the bladder, but the defining feature is the delay in starting urination. Dysuria would mean pain or burning with urination, urinary incontinence means involuntary leakage, and polyuria means producing abnormally large volumes of urine; none of these describe the initial difficulty beginning the stream.