Cloudy urine and frequent urination that is brought about by incomplete bladder emptying has many causes and needs to be professionally diagnosed. Urinary retention that traps urine in the bladder can happen when the bladder muscles that surround the “exit passage” (called the bladder sphincter) does not relax and allow the sphincter to open up and let the urine pass out of the bladder. When we successfully urinate, the bladder muscles squeeze out urine, simultaneously the bladder sphincter needs to relax, to let the urine pass out of the urethra. If the sphincter does not relax, the bladder has a hard time emptying.  Urologists call it bladder sphincter dyssynergia. Simply put, when it is time to urinate all of the muscles of the bladder tighten up, including the bladder sphincter, making it difficult for urine to empty out of the bladder.

Cloudy urine from a full bladder may be sediment that builds up when the bladder does not purge out all of its contents when urinating. When the bladder does not empty and it becomes distended (stretched out) small pockets may form on the side of the bladder. These sacs are called diverticuli that may allow pus, blood, and sediment to accumulate, when these byproducts do come out with the urine, it looks cloudy.

Cloudy urine and frequent urination from urinary retention is diagnosed with a urodynamic study that measures bladder pressures, bladder capacity, and the electrical output of the nerves and muscles at the bottom of your bladder (bladder sphincter). During a normal urodynamic study, as the bladder fills with water the electrical signals should remain strong, which shows that the sphincter is closing tight, keeping the water from leaking out of the bladder. This is how we can walk around all day and not leak urine. When the bladder becomes full and time to urinate, our bladder sphincter relaxes and opens up, allowing the bladder to empty.

Cloudy urine and frequent urination brought about by urinary outlet obstruction in men is often caused by prostate enlargement and in women by a dropped bladder or bladder prolapse. Our world class urologists will diagnose your urological status and give you the appropriate solutions. For men with prostate enlargement, medications to help the bladder sphincter (bladder neck) relax, and medication to help shrink the prostate, may be prescribed. Radio frequency treatment, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), or a Green light laser may be performed to quickly remove both cloudy urine and frequent urination. Women can have reconstructive surgery to reposition the bladder and urethra, sometimes called a sling surgery.