mail2

Spectrum Library

Spinal Cord Injury Bladder Management

Sections:

See also: Urinary Tract Infections

The Urinary System

The Urinary System is made up of five major parts:

The Kidneys
The two kidneys filter waste and excess water from the blood and produce urine. Urine is being produced every minute of the day.

The Ureters
Each kidney has a thin, hollow tube that connects to the bladder. Urine flows down the ureters from the kidneys and empties into the bladder. The ureters have one-way valves in them, so even if you were to stand on your head, urine could not flow back to the kidneys from the bladder.

The Bladder
The bladder is a collapsible sac lying in the pelvis. It is able to stretch to hold urine until you are ready to urinate. The bladder walls are made up of muscles known collectively as the detrusor muscles. When you are ready to urinate, the detrusor muscles contract (squeeze) to help push the urine from the bladder. The lower portion of the bladder, which funnels urine into the urethra, is called the bladder neck or bladder outlet.

The Sphincter Muscles
The internal and external sphincter muscles form a ring around the urethra to keep urine in the bladder. When you are ready to urinate, these muscles relax to allow urine to flow out of the bladder.

The Urethra
The urethra is a small tube that allows urine to flow from the bladder to outside the body. The male urethra is 8-10 inches long and the female urethra is 1-2 inches long. The external urethral opening from the body is called the meatus for both men and women.

Continued at Source.

Read More: Spinal Cord Injury Bladder Management