Bladder is a small pouch resembling a balloon meant for storing urine produced from the kidneys. Urine gets expelled from the bladder through urethra. Bladder is a small muscular pouch located in the pelvic region and is found above the pubic bone. When it is completely empty, bladder resembles a small pear in size and shape. Two tubing called ureter carries the urine produced from the kidneys to the bladder. Storing and discharging of urine by the bladder can be voluntary or involuntary.
Bladder can store up to 600 ml of urine. When you wish to pass urine, your bladder muscle would contract and opens the two sphincter muscle so that urine flows out. The size of urethra is longer in men than women since it passes through penis.
Bladder can develop many problems like urinary stones, cystitis, overactive bladder and urinary incontinence. It can be painful on the bladder due to infection and inflammation.
Fullness of bladder can be described as a feeling when a person has an urge to urinate. Bladder urging forces an individual to visit the toilet. Bladder fullness can be felt by every person when it gets filled to almost maximum capacity and it gives signal for him to urinate. If the condition does not allow you to visit toilet (attending a meeting or traveling) you can resist the urge only for short time. As time passes, the urge of passing urine gets intensified and the person may end up rushing to the toilet or urinate involuntarily.
The bladder need not be full all the time when a person has a sudden urge to urinate. Bladder fullness can be felt even after passing urine and even small quantity of urine is stoned in the bladder. Under such condition, it can be due to underlying problem.
How Bladder Gets Filled ?
As long as the kidney functions normally, the bladder gets constantly filled with urine, irrespective of time of the day. It depends on factors like how much water and other fluids you consume, levels of hormone and levels of electrolyte. As more and more urine gets filled inside the bladder, the muscles are stretched for accommodating more volumes of urine. Receptors are present in the walls of these muscles which decide the extent to which the muscles can stretch.