It's Time to Talk About OABAn archived urology conditions and care information index
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Paruresis (Urinating in Public)

Paruresis, often called "shy bladder" syndrome, is when you have trouble urinating when other people are around. Depending on how serious it is, some people are not able to void without some or total privacy. In some ways it is like urinary retention, where you "cannot go." But the key difference is that shy bladder is not caused by a physical blockage.

Archived from the 2024 edition

Overview

Shy bladder can change your quality of life in many ways, causing problems with:.

While there is no way to know how many people have problems voiding in public, surveys in the last few decades show that less than 1 to more than 25 of 100 Americans could have shy bladder. But it is not clear how much of this fear is about trouble voiding in public bathrooms.

In this entry

The archived page carried these sections, in this order.

  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis and Treatment
  • After Treatment
  • Explore Further

Other entries in Bladder Cancer, Control and Health

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