Urethral blockages can be cause for bathroom trips

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Frequent bathroom trips for men aren't always due to the prostate gland.

"We often don't notice those changes if they happen slowly over time," says Dr. Sam Ivan, a Temple Health reconstructive urologist.

No one counts their bathroom trips every day. But Dr. Ivan says if they seem more frequent, it might not be age, or an enlarged prostate.

It could be a urethral stricture - the medical term for a blockage of the urethra, the tube that takes urine out of the body.

It is far more common in men than women.

"They may have to strain a little bit to get their urine out, or they might feel like they don't empty their bladder all the way," he says.

Scar tissue is the usual cause, though Dr. Ivan says pinpointing the scarring's cause is hard.

"And it may be something related to an infection or some trauma prior in their younger life," he explains.

Doctors use a tiny camera to find the location and extent of the scarring.

There's no medication to clear the scarring, however, there are several very effective outpatient procedures.

Patients almost always go home the same day. They will need a catheter for a few days to weeks during the healing process.

"But after that, with the catheter out, we expect patients to notice immediate improvement," Dr. Ivan says.

And isolated blockages usually don't return.

Dr. Ivan urges men who are using the bathroom more often, or needing more time to feel relief get it checked out.

The problem may be manageable now, but over five, 10 or 15 years, it could cause permanent damage.

"You're just putting more pressure on and eventually you can cause failure or a bladder that wears out and won't squeeze anymore," he says.

Letting these problems go also allows more bacteria to grow, raising the risk of infections.