If your elderly parent has a problem with urine leakage or blocked urine flow, your doctor or nurse may be able to help. One of the tools they may use to evaluate the cause of your symptoms is urodynamic testing.
Problems in the urinary system can be caused by aging, illness, or injury. The muscles in and around the bladder and urethra tend to become weaker with age. Weak bladder muscles may result in not being able to empty the bladder completely, leaving you at a higher risk for urinary tract infections. Weak muscles of the sphincters and pelvis can lead to urinary incontinence because the sphincter muscles cannot remain tight enough to hold urine in the bladder, or the bladder does not have enough support from the pelvic muscles to stay in its proper position.
Urodynamics is a study that assesses how the bladder and urethra are performing their job of storing and releasing urine. Urodynamic tests help your doctor or nurse see how well your bladder and sphincter muscles work and can help explain symptoms such as:
- Incontinence
- Frequent urination
- Sudden, strong urges to urinate
- Problems starting a urine stream
- Painful urination
- Problems emptying your bladder completely
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
These tests may be as simple as urinating behind a curtain while a doctor or nurse listens or more complicated, involving imaging equipment that films urination and pressure monitors that record the pressures of the bladder and urethra.