Post-void dribbling occurs when
urine
Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra.
Cellular ...
remaining in the
urethra
The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra c ...
after voiding the
bladder
The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...
slowly leaks out after urination. A common and usually
benign
Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse.
Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
complaint, it may be a
symptom of
urethral diverticulum A urethral diverticulum is a condition where the urethra or the periurethral glands push into the connective tissue layers ( fascia) that surround it.
Signs and symptoms
Urethral diverticula are often asymptomatic and symptoms that are present t ...
,
prostatitis
Prostatitis is an umbrella term for a variety of medical conditions that incorporate bacterial and non-bacterial origin illnesses in the pelvic region. In contrast with the plain meaning of the word (which means "inflammation of the prostate"), the ...
and other medical problems.
Some men who experience dribbling, especially after prostate cancer surgery, will choose to wear incontinence pads to stay dry. Also known as guards for men, these incontinence pads conform to the male body. Some of the most popular male guards are from
TENA,
Depend, and Prevail. Simple ways to prevent dribbling include: strengthening pelvic muscles with
Kegel exercise
Kegel exercise, also known as pelvic-floor exercise, involves repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor, now sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Kegel muscles". The exercise can be performed many t ...
s, changing position while urinating, or pressing on the
perineum
The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis (pubic arch) and the coccyx (tail bone), includi ...
to evacuate the remaining urine from the urethra. Sitting down while urinating is also shown to alleviate complaints: a
meta-analysis
A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Meta-analyses can be performed when there are multiple scientific studies addressing the same question, with each individual study reporting me ...
on the effects of voiding position in elderly males with
benign prostate hyperplasia found an improvement of urologic parameters in this position, while in healthy males no such influence was found.
References
External links
eMedicine
Symptoms and signs: Urinary system
{{Symptom-stub