Risk of Urinary Retention

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei swaps out components on an advanced new toilet installed inside the International Space Station.

NASA

Exposure to the altered gravity in the spaceflight environment may cause physiological changes. One of these changes is the inability to completely empty the bladder or urinary retention. Causes of urinary retention in the early phases of flight include altered baseline physiology seen with exposure to microgravity, the anticholinergic side effects of medications that are taken to combat space motion sickness, and other factors. Urinary retention may impact health on orbit by causing discomfort and increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. Treatment, including urethral catheterization, has been performed on orbit.