Neurogenic Bladder | Symptoms | MedStar Health

Neurogenic bladder describes lost bladder function due to brain, spinal cord, or nerve conditions or disorders such as:

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Birth defects of the spinal cord
  • Brain or spinal cord tumors
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Encephalitis (swelling of the brain)
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Stroke recovery
  • Alcoholic neuropathy (nerve damage due to long-term, heavy alcohol use)
  • Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage due to long-term diabetes)
  • Nerve damage due to pelvic surgery
  • Nerve damage due to herniated disc

Neurogenic bladder symptoms

The damage may cause the bladder to become overactive or underactive and can secondarily impact the kidneys as well. Symptoms of a neurogenic bladder may include:

  • Urinary incontinence
  • Dribbling urinary stream
  • Straining during urination
  • Inability to urinate
  • Urinary retention
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Our providers

Ryan Cleary is a urology and robotic surgery specialist with MedStar Health in Baltimore Maryland.

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Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our urologists.