What should be the volume of a person's bladder? Normal bladder volume and reasons for changes in its size Maximum amount of urine in the bladder

(MP) is an important organ of the genitourinary system. The main purpose of this organ is to accumulate and remove urine from the body. It is located in the pelvis of the human body. The structure consists of muscle tissue, which allows you to change its size.

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Bladder volume in men: normal

The bladder capacity of an adult healthy man is on average about 500 ml + -100 ml. Due to the fact that the structure of the walls is elastic, it can stretch and hold much more liquid. Therefore, it is capable of holding a liter. But this feature is individual for each man.

You can feel the filling of an organ when it is 100–150 ml full, if you correctly recognize brain signals.

Comparison with the volume of the female organ

In the course of numerous studies, scientists have come to the conclusion that the size of the bladder in men is slightly higher than that of the female organ. This is explained by the strong body structure of men and the differences in the location of organs. The average value for women is 350 – 400 ml.

During pregnancy, the uterus does not allow the organ to stretch, so its volume temporarily decreases. But after childbirth it returns to its original state.

Minimum and maximum bladder size in men

The minimum bladder volume in men is 350 ml. This value is based on the physiological characteristics of the structure of the human body.

The shape of an unpaired organ changes depending on its fullness and the position of neighboring organs.

With regular fluid intake in small quantities and timely trips to the toilet. The capacity is 300 - 350 ml.

The maximum size of the bladder in men varies from 650 to 700 ml. This volume assumes a constant indicator at any time of the day.

The body's need to empty itself should occur up to 8 times a day. If the urge occurs more often, you should pay attention to this.

Comparison with women's minimum and maximum volume

The volume of the female and male organs does not have critical distinctive features and, on average, the female organ is smaller than the male one. The minimum bladder capacity for women is 250 ml. The maximum volume of the female organ is 500 ml.

How to determine the volume of a person's bladder

In order to answer the question: “How many liters is the bladder?” Let's consider several methods for determining volume:

The modern and most accurate method for determining bladder capacity is an ultrasound examination.

The methodology for calculating capacity is based on the following data:

Volume (V); Width (B); Length (L); Height (H).

V = 0.75 × B × L × H

These data have the highest correlation result.

The capacity of the bladder determines the amount of urine that is expelled when you go to the toilet.

The organ is taken to be an ellipse or cylinder. The device calculates the volume automatically.

Formulas for determining volume:

  1. According to the age

The capacity of the organ is taken as EMP, age is taken as N.

EMP = 73 + 32 × N

For example, a man is 25 years old. This means that the volume of the bladder is 73 + 32 × 25. This gives 873 ml.

  1. By weight

An important condition of this formula is the absence of excess weight and underweight. That is, average weight for height.

Special weight formula:

M is the mass of a person.

EMP = 10 × M.

The volume of an adult's bladder is calculated as follows: for every kilogram of body weight, 10 milliliters are taken.
For a man weighing 80 kg, the bladder capacity is 800 ml. But this calculation has its own nuances.

Since formulas without taking into account ultrasound do not give accurate results, the final value of the capacitance is the average of the last two formulas.

Using the above methods, you can easily calculate the approximate volume of the bladder in men (the norm is described above).

Useful video

Check out the bladder capacity visually in the video below:

Bladder capacity, causes of pathologies

With disorders and diseases in the body, the volume of the bladder changes.

Conservative treatment methods:

  • Stretching sizes by filling liquid;
  • Injections that reduce the number of urinations and increase storage capacity.

Surgical methods

  • Removal of part of the contractile muscle of the organ;
  • Surgical effect on the nerves of the walls;
  • Replacement of part of an organ with another part of the intestine or stomach;
  • Complete removal of the bladder.

Recovery with physical therapy

  • The exercise technique involves drinking a significant amount of liquid while holding urination. The bladder gets used to the increase in volume;
  • Each time you urinate, carry out the following actions: stop and start the outflow of urine. Strengthens the influence of the nervous system on the process;
  • If you want to urinate, pat the front of your thighs or tap your knees. This will relax the muscles.

When using the method of forced increase in size, you need to know how much the bladder can hold and keep in mind the maximum capabilities of your organ.

The following methods are used to reduce:

  • A catheter is installed to drain urine;
  • Medicines are prescribed;
  • Physiotherapy (electrophoresis, amplipulse therapy, ultrasound, acupuncture, warming);
  • Physiotherapy

Keep a diary to track your urination time. Record all changes and exercises.

  • Cystectomy (removal of an organ for cancer);
  • Lifestyle improvements (weight normalization, giving up bad habits, healthy eating, regular fluid intake).

The consequences of problems with urination make a man’s life difficult and problematic.

He becomes irritable, sleep disturbances begin, and his quality of life deteriorates.

Z Knowing the volume of a person’s bladder, correctly assess the potential of the organ, this will give you the opportunity to take care of urination on time, to be a healthy and full-fledged inhabitant of our planet.

Many urinary problems are treatable, don't let them ruin your life. Contact your doctor promptly.

A healthy bladder of normal capacity stores urine flowing through the ureters from the kidneys until it is sufficiently full and the person feels the urge to urinate. Normally, urine can accumulate and remain in the organ cavity for about 2–5 hours. But with pathological changes, as a result of which its volume increases or decreases, various urination disorders develop. Let's consider what the capacity of this organ should be in adult women and men, in children, how to determine this parameter and what pathologies can lead to changes in bladder volume.

Bladder volume is normal

The normal capacity of this organ varies by gender and depending on the age of the person:

  • in women, the volume of the bladder is approximately 250–500 ml;
  • for men this figure is slightly higher - 350–700 ml.

But depending on the individual structure of the organ and the extensibility of its walls, the bladder can hold up to a liter of urine.

In children, its capacity increases as the child grows older:
As can be seen from the table, the organ reaches adult size after 11 years.

What can affect the size of an organ?

Bladder volume can change up or down throughout life. Its capacity can be influenced by the following factors:

  • surgical operations on the pelvic organs;
  • pathological changes in nearby organs;
  • taking certain medications;
  • malignant and benign tumors in the bladder;
  • neurological pathologies;
  • pregnancy;
  • age-related changes occurring in the body of an elderly person.

There are studies that confirm the possibility of changes in bladder size as a result of severe emotional shock, and this is possible in both women and men. The solution to this problem is to restore the general emotional background, when a person can fully control all functions of his body.

Some of these changes are reversible, and the organ capacity returns to its previous values ​​after the cessation of exposure to the provoking factor. This outcome of changes is predicted after childbirth or cessation of medication. In other cases, returning to normal organ capacity is possible only after adequate therapy or surgery.

How do changes in organ volume manifest themselves?

Changes in bladder size cannot go unnoticed for women and men, as the problem affects their quality of life. Patients experience the following symptoms:

  • frequent urination, when the number of trips to the toilet exceeds 5 times a day;
  • frequent night urination;
  • the presence of an imperative (strong, commanding) urge to urinate;
  • The amount of urine produced is less than usual, but the urge occurs more often.

When the bladder becomes smaller, it fills with urine faster and therefore needs to be emptied more often. When the organ enlarges, the amount of residual urine in it also increases, and problems with urination are manifested by a frequent urge to urinate.

How to find out the capacity of the bladder and what is it for?

The modern and most accurate method is ultrasound examination of this organ, when it is mistaken for a cylinder or ellipse (conditionally), and the equipment automatically determines the volume of the bladder. This data is necessary to assess his condition, the presence of diseases of the urinary system, to determine the amount of residual urine or its retention.

Formulas to determine bladder capacity (BUC) in adult men and women:

  1. EMP (in ml) = 73 + 32 x N, where N is the person’s age.
  2. EMF = 10 x M, where M is the mass of a person who is not overweight.
  3. EMP = 0.75 x A x L x H, where A is the width, L is the length, H is the height of the organ, determined by the catheterization method.

For children, a different formula is used:

EMF = 1500 x (S/1.73), where S is the average surface of the child’s body. Doctors take this indicator from ready-made tables; the accuracy of such calculations is close to 100%.

Studies conducted by scientists have shown that the capacity of the bladder does not change from the moment of the final development of the genitourinary system, unless there has been exposure to a provoking factor (disease, surgery, etc.).

Reasons for downsizing

In men and women they are identical and are divided into two groups:

  1. Functional, associated with dysfunction of the organ.
  2. Organic, arise due to a violation of the structure of its wall.

The first group includes the disease overactive bladder. It is associated with a disruption in the supply of nerves to the organ or their insufficient functioning. The disease is manifested by frequent and imperative urge to urinate.

In many cases, these changes are irreversible, so returning the organ to its previous size is only possible through surgery.

Reasons for increasing size

It can increase as a result of the following genitourinary diseases:

  • ischuria: characterized by acute urinary retention, when the bladder becomes full but is unable to empty itself;
  • bladder stones;
  • stones in the ureters, and they cause enlargement of the bladder more often than stones in the organ itself. This occurs due to blockage of the lumen of the ureters, as a result of which the outflow of urine becomes difficult;
  • tumors in the ducts of the organ;
  • prostatitis in men, its acute form is accompanied by a very rapid change in the size of the bladder and pain in the abdominal area;
  • benign prostatic hypertrophy;
  • prostate tumor in men;
  • malignant tumor of the bladder;
  • benign tumors - polyps. They are not prone to rapid growth and may not show themselves at all. But when the polyps begin to grow rapidly, most likely they have become malignant (malignant), and the patient urgently needs surgery.

Other provoking factors that can cause enlargement of this organ are:

  • cholecystitis - inflammation of the gallbladder;
  • a brain tumor that causes dysfunction of brain neurons and interruption of urinary control;
  • multiple sclerosis, when problems with urination are caused by neurological disorders;
  • functional pathologies of the prostate in men over 40 years of age;
  • endocrine disorders associated with damage to the autonomic nervous system in diabetes mellitus;
  • adnexitis - a disease of the female genital organs - inflammation of the appendages;
  • bladder catheterization, when the tube was not installed correctly and urine was retained in the body;
  • other medical procedures that have caused irritation of the urinary organs, resulting in swelling of the bladder and retention of urine in it.

There are some medications that can cause swelling of the bladder:

  • parasympatholytics;
  • opiates;
  • sedatives;
  • ganglion blockers;
  • some anesthetics.

An enlarged bladder can be easily palpated, but with such a study, the pathology can be confused with an abdominal tumor, cyst, or intestinal volvulus. Therefore, to confirm the diagnosis, the posterior wall of this organ is examined rectally and catheterized.

What to do if the size of your bladder has changed?

First, the doctor will prescribe an ultrasound examination, excretory urography, chromocystoscopy and, possibly, cystoscopy. Based on the results of these studies, he will select the best option to eliminate this problem. It is important to eliminate the very reason that led to such changes.

If the bladder has become smaller in volume, the following conservative methods of therapy may be prescribed:

  • hydrodilatation - a procedure during which fluid is pumped into the organ and thus gradually increases its volume;
  • injections of neurotoxins administered through the urethra into the wall of the bladder. They disrupt the functioning of the nerves, thereby reducing the frequency of urination and increasing the storage function of this organ.

Surgical techniques for increasing bladder volume:

  1. Myomectomy. Part of the muscle tissue of the detrusor, the contractile muscle of the bladder, is excised.
  2. Transurethral detrusorotomy. A microsurgical instrument is inserted through the urethra into the cavity of the organ, with which the nerves in its wall are crossed.
  3. Augmentation cystoplasty. Removal of part of an organ, which is replaced during surgery with a section of the stomach or intestines.
  4. Cystectomy. The bladder is completely removed and replaced with a section of intestine. This operation is usually performed in the case of malignant tumors in the organ.

If a patient has an enlarged bladder, the primary treatment for the disease that provoked this condition is prescribed. At the same time, the patient may have a catheter installed to normalize urine drainage. Additional therapeutic measures that the doctor selects individually:

  • medications whose action is aimed at improving the tone of the organ;
  • physiotherapy (electrophoresis, heating, ultrasound, etc.);
  • physical therapy to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

If the increase in the size of the organ was caused by cancerous tumors, the patient undergoes a cystectomy - complete removal of the bladder, followed by replacement with intestinal tissue.

If such changes are left untreated, then a person can expect unpleasant consequences in the form of chronic renal failure, vesicoureteral reflux, chronic pyelonephritis and many others.

The bladder is a kind of reservoir where urine accumulates. When it is sufficiently filled, a person feels the urge to urinate. What is the normal bladder volume in women and men and what is considered a deviation?

The bladder is a hollow, round-shaped muscular organ with clear and even contours. The main function of the organ is to store and contain urine. Urine is held in the bladder due to the elastic walls of the mucous membrane. They can stretch by 2-3 mm. After emptying, the folds of the mucous membrane straighten. Their thickness ranges from 3-5 mm. Bladder filling - 50 ml per hour. When urine accumulates, the pressure in the bladder does not change.

When a certain size is reached, an empty signal is sent. The initiators of the impulse are the nerve cells of the organ wall . Normally, urine can be retained in the bladder for 2 to 5 hours. The spinal cord is responsible for contraction and emptying. When there is a strong urge, the sphincter holds back urine. However, if urine is held in the bladder for a long time, unwanted urination may occur.

Bladder capacity depends not only on gender, but also on a person’s age and health status. The bladder capacity in men is 650 ml. In women, the bladder capacity is smaller and amounts to 250-500 ml. This is due to the fact that in women the internal genital organs are located in the small area. A person feels the urge to urinate when the volume is 150-250 ml. However, in some cases a person is able to hold up to 750 ml of urine.

The size of a child's bladder depends directly on age. Initially, the organ is located slightly higher than in an adult. But with age it declines. For a newborn, the norm is 40 ml. Children aged 2-5 years experience the urge to void at 50 ml. The capacity of the organ in children over 5 years of age is 100 ml. In adolescents, the amount of urine varies from 100 to 200 ml.

How to determine bladder volume?

To determine the capacity of an organ, they resort to proven and reliable research methods, namely: ultrasound diagnostics. The organ is mistaken for a cylinder, and with the help of a special apparatus, the doctor determines not only the volume of residual urine, but also the presence of pathologies of the urinary system. If we compare these data with the organ catheterization data, there will be a complete coincidence. Ultrasound may have a slight error. It has been proven that measurement results are distorted when the bladder is loaded as a result of muscle strain. Residual urine levels are also false. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from urinating before the examination.

The capacity of the bubble can be determined manually using a special formula. In this case, 0.75 must be multiplied by the length, width and height of the organ. This formula allows you to get reliable results. You can calculate the capacity of an organ using other formulas:

EMP = 73 + 32 x N, where N is the person’s age.

EMP = 10 x M, where M is the person’s weight.

To determine the capacity of an organ in children, another formula is used:

EMP = 1500 x (S/1.73), where S is the average surface of the baby’s body. This coefficient depends on the height and weight of the baby. Below is a table for determining the S indicator.

To determine the capacity and pressure inside the organ, cystometry is performed. This type of study also allows you to determine the presence of problems with the nerves and muscles of the organ. The principle of diagnosis is that a special catheter is inserted into the patient’s urinary organs. The measurement is carried out using a uroflowmeter apparatus. Residual urine is removed through the catheter. Then a sterile liquid at room temperature is injected into the organ. In some cases gas is used. A cystometer is attached to the catheter, which measures the volume and pressure in the bladder.

Size changes

Changes in bladder volume are observed throughout life. Factors that influence changes in organ size include:

  • taking certain medications;
  • pregnancy period;
  • the presence of benign or malignant neoplasms;
  • elderly age.

The bladder changes in size when taking sedatives, opiates, parasympatholytics, some anesthetics and ganglion blockers. The size of the organ may change in the presence of neurological pathologies. Also, capacity may decrease under severe stress or emotional trauma. If the diameter of the bladder has changed due to stress, then this is reversible. To return to its former capacity, it is necessary to get rid of nervous tension and restore the emotional background.

Surgical interventions on the pelvic organs have a negative impact on the functioning of the organ. Frequent urination indicates a decrease in volume. It becomes difficult for the patient to control the process of emptying the bladder. In some cases, the urge occurs before the bladder has time to fill with urine.

If the bladder becomes smaller or larger, the quality of life in men or women sharply worsens. Night urges appear. The number of trips to the toilet can exceed 6-7 times a day. The child may urinate more often. The daily rate of urine excreted is significantly reduced. A small bladder quickly fills with urine, so frequent emptying is required. A large bladder also quickly fills with residual urine, causing the need for frequent bowel movements.

Reasons for decrease and increase

The size of an organ can decrease for two reasons:

  • functional (impairment in work);
  • organic (change in structure and its wall).

Malfunctions are caused by nerve endings or their insufficient activity. In medical practice, this change is called “hyperactivity.” A patient with this diagnosis experiences frequent urge to urinate. The cause of hyperactivity may be infection, gynecological diseases or prostate diseases.

Organic factors include long-term inflammatory processes. The tissues of the organ are replaced with connective tissue, which leads to a decrease in the size of the bladder. Long-term inflammatory processes are observed with interstitial or radiation cystitis, organ tuberculosis, and schistosomiasis.

Interstitial cystitis is an inflammatory process of a non-bacterial nature. This pathology can be recognized by blood in the urine and abdominal pain. Radiation cystitis usually develops after radiation therapy. He is also characterized by blood impurities and frequent urination. The causative agent of tuberculosis is the bacterium tuberculosis bacillus. The disease manifests itself in the form of dull and constant pain in the lumbar region, fever. Schistosomiasis is a helminthic disease that can be recognized by the presence of urticaria, skin swelling, pain, fever, and sweating. Without treatment, there is a high probability of developing complications such as epididymitis and prostatitis.

Bladder enlargement occurs when:

  • ishuria;
  • stones in the organ;
  • stones in the ureter;
  • prostate tumors;
  • polyps.

The greatest likelihood of developing ischuria is observed in diseases of the central nervous system, injuries to the urethra, drug intoxication, after surgery on the perineum, genitals or rectum. Urolithiasis is diagnosed in both elderly people and children. The reason for its development is a lack of vitamins, metabolic diseases, injuries, and diseases of the digestive tract. The number of stones may vary. At an early stage of the development of urolithiasis, a dull pain appears in the lower back.

A moving stone may block the internal opening of the urethra. In this case, urination stops. To resume it, the patient must change position.

Provoking factors that can cause bladder enlargement include cholecystitis, multiple sclerosis, endocrine disorders, and adnexitis. In some cases, a large bubble is observed with brain tumors or functional pathologies of the prostate. A large bubble is quite easy to feel, but upon palpation it can be confused with an abdominal tumor. Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo laboratory and instrumental examination.

Features of treatment

If unpleasant symptoms appear and you are worried about frequent urination, you should consult a doctor. Treatment is prescribed based on the root cause and type of disease. In order to make the correct diagnosis, the doctor performs chromocystoscopy, ultrasound and excretory urography.

A small bladder is treated conservatively. The patient is indicated for injections of neurotoxins. The medicine is injected into the organ through the urinary tract. Hyperactivity decreases and thus the frequency of urges decreases. Hydrodilation is also performed. The principle of the procedure is to introduce a special liquid into the organ, which will stretch the volume.

When treating a large bladder, surgical treatment is effective. Depending on the type of disease, myomectomy, cystectomy, transurethral detrusorotomy and augmentation cystoplasty can be performed. During the rehabilitation period, medications are prescribed that increase the tone of the organ. Physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises are also effective.

The bladder is an organ that has a very important function in the human body. Urine accumulates in the bladder, and when the organ cavity is filled, urine is removed from the body through the urinary canaliculi.

When determining organ pathologies, such an indicator as bladder volume.

It is known that the walls of the organ are very elastic, and when certain negative consequences occur, they can stretch and contract. Depending on this, the volume also changes.

Normal bladder volume

Adult men and women

Normal bladder volume in adult women is 300-500 ml., for men these figures are slightly higher: 300-700 ml.

This is due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the male and female body, the position of the organ in the pelvic area (in men the bladder is located slightly higher than in women).

However, since the walls of the organ tend to stretch, in some cases these indicators may change, for example, when the bladder is overfilled with urine.

Children

In children, the bladder begins to form in the prenatal period of fetal development, in the 1st trimester (at 6-7 weeks). And after the birth of a newborn baby, the organ actively grows, reaching the size characteristic of an adult by the age of 12-14 years.

Depending on age a child's bladder has different volumes (see table):

Can the size of the bubble deviate from the norm and why does this happen?

Exists a number of unfavorable factors, which can affect changes in organ capacity.

Some of these factors are reversible, and, after eliminating the negative cause, the size of the bladder gradually returns to normal.

Other factors, more serious, lead to permanent changes in the size of the organ. In this case, the patient timely treatment is required.

Such reasons include:

  1. Surgical treatment organs of the urinary system;
  2. Organ diseases located in close proximity to the bladder (if these diseases lead to changes in the size of these organs);
  3. Consumption of some medicines(in particular, diuretics);
  4. Tumor formations(benign or malignant form) affecting the bladder;
  5. Neurological pathologies;
  6. Pregnancy(especially in its last stages, when the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the bladder and other organs located nearby);
  7. Emotional stress, which negatively affects the condition of the body as a whole.

Why is it decreasing?

Reasons for decreasing organ capacity may be different associated with damage to the walls of the organ and other internal organs.

Below is a table showing which factors influence the reduction and how:

Why is it increasing?

An increase in the size of the bladder, and as a result, an increase in its volume can lead to the following diseases organs of the genitourinary system:

  1. Pathology in which the bladder does not empty even if it is full of urine (ischuria);
  2. when stones form in the cavity of the bladder itself, or in the urinary tubules (in the second case, the bladder increases in size more intensively, since a stone blocking the urinary tract leads to a more acute difficulty in the passage of urine);
  3. in men, its hypertrophy is a benign form of the course;
  4. Malignant neoplasms in the prostate and bladder;
  5. Presence of polyps(benign neoplasms affecting internal organs). If the size of the polyps is insignificant, the pathology does not manifest itself in any way.
  6. However, neoplasms are prone to intensive growth and can acquire a malignant course. In this case, the negative effect on the bladder is obvious: this situation leads to a pathological increase in the volume of its cavity.

There are a number of factors that have a minor impact on the condition of the bladder, leading to its enlargement:

  1. Cystitis(cholecystitis). At the same time, depending on the prevalence of the inflammation, the size of the bladder may increase or remain unchanged (slightly enlarged);
  2. Tumor formations in the brain, affecting its parts responsible for the process of urination;
  3. Neurological disorders;
  4. Age-related changes(pathology most often occurs in men over 40 years of age);
  5. Diabetes mellitus, in which disturbances in the functionality of the autonomic nervous system and nutritional processes in organs and tissues develop;
  6. Inflammation of the appendages in women;
  7. Surgical interventions related to catheter installation (when this procedure was performed incorrectly);
  8. Taking medications (opium-based drugs, sedatives, anesthetics).

Symptoms of Capacitance Change

An increase or decrease in the volume of the bladder is a pathological phenomenon that manifests itself with characteristic symptoms.

The clinical picture is pronounced, the symptoms negatively affect the general condition of the body, worsening the patient’s quality of life.

To the number main features changes in organ capacity include:

  1. Frequent urge to urinate, the need to visit the toilet increases to 7-8 times a day. In this case, the urge to urinate occurs, for the most part, at night;
  2. The amount of urine excreted decreases (when the bladder becomes smaller, a large amount of urine is unable to accumulate in it; when it increases, it is not completely excreted; a certain amount of urine remains in the cavity of the organ);
  3. The urge to urinate occurs suddenly and intensely.

What to do if the volume of an organ changes?

Depending on how the bladder capacity changes, prescribe conservative, or surgical treatment.

When decreasing organ volume treatment is carried out non-surgically.

To restore organ size appoint:

  1. Injection of neurotoxins. The drug is administered through the urethra and urinary canals, directly into the walls of the bladder. Neurotoxins block the functioning of the nerve cells of the organ, which helps reduce the frequency of the urge to urinate;
  2. Hydrodilatation– filling the bladder with a large amount of fluid. This helps to stretch the walls of the organ, and, as a result, increase its size.

Method of treatment enlarged bladder– surgical. During the operation, muscle fibers are removed, part of the organ is removed, or the bladder is completely removed.

When excision of part of an organ, the removed area is replaced with the intestinal wall; with complete removal, the missing organ is replaced with part of the intestine or stomach.

TO additional therapeutic methods that contribute to achieving positive results include:

  1. Physiotherapy;
  2. Drug therapy.

A change in the size of the bladder causes discomfort to the patient; moreover, it may indicate the presence of serious problems in the body.

Therefore, if you notice the first signs of a disturbance in the urination process, you need to consult a specialist.

Learn more about the anatomy of the bladder in the video below:

The volume of the bladder in men is 250-500 ml. The organ is located in the pelvic area. When filled, it touches the obturator muscle, which allows it to increase in size.

The bladder is a hollow organ in men and women that extends in front of the symphysis. The intestines are adjacent to its upper part. In men, it is covered on the side and top with a serous membrane. The size for men and women depends on the degree of filling. After emptying, the peritoneum covers it retroperitoneally. In the filled state, a mesoperitoneal ratio is observed.

Experts call the following components of the bubble:

  • neck;
  • body;
  • top;

The top is narrowed and the bottom is wide. In men, it is located next to the rectum.

At the bottom of the cervix you can see the entrance to the urethra. In men, such a hole is at the same level as the middle of the height. The empty organ has an oval shape. The long part of the bladder is larger in men than in women. The transverse size of the latter is larger than that of the stronger sex. Its volume normally ranges from 200-400 ml. This figure can increase to 700 ml. In children it depends on age:

  • in newborns – 50-80 cm³;
  • at 5 years – 180 cm³;
  • after 12 years – 250 cm³.

Urine is retained and accumulated in the cavity due to the elastic walls of the mucous membrane. At maximum stretch, their thickness ranges from 2-3 mm. The folds of the mucous membrane straighten after emptying (their thickness is 12-15 mm). There are no folds in the triangle of the bladder, located at the bottom. Its tops are represented by the following 3 holes:

  • the orifices of the right and left ureters;
  • internal opening of the urethra.

The main function of the organ is to store and contain urine. The ureter is involved in these processes. The accumulation of liquid is ensured by the ability of the walls to stretch. At the same time, the pressure inside does not change. When a certain size is reached, an impulse is sent to the head for release (the urge to urinate).

A healthy adult body can hold in urine when the urge is strong. This is ensured by the sphincter apparatus, which narrows the lumens. One is located in the cervix and the other in the pelvic urethra.

Before urination, the 2 sphincters relax, the walls of the bladder contract, and urine is removed from the body. The degree of stretching of the walls of the mucous membrane depends on the individual structure. The maximum capacity is a liter of urine.

Independent calculations

To accurately determine the volume, an ultrasound is performed and a special formula is used. The organ is mistaken for a cylinder or ellipse. Similar techniques are used:

  • to determine retention or volume of residual urine;
  • to identify diseases of the urinary system.

The obtained data are compared with the indicators of bladder catheterization. Experts recommend calculating the volume manually (before ultrasound). To do this, use the following formula: 0.75 multiplied by the height, length and width of the organ.

Such measurements are related to the volume of urine, which is determined using a catheterization method. This formula allows you to get reliable results. In a healthy body, the bladder holds about 300 ml of urine for 2-5 hours. If ultrasound reveals an increase in size, then a course of treatment is prescribed. To calculate the results of research, experts use various formulas. This makes it difficult to compare the data obtained. When using portable ultrasonic devices, automatic size calculations are used.

After urination, the bladder acquires a spindle-shaped shape, in a moderately filled state - in the form of an egg, and when walking - spherical. The volume of a newborn baby ranges from 50-80 ml. Until the 1st year, its size reaches 240 ml. The urge to urinate occurs in children under 1 year of age with 20-40 ml of urine, at the age of 2-5 years - 40-60 ml.

To find out the size of the bladder in children, use the following formula:

600 + (100 x (n – 1)), where n is the child’s age.

If the child is over 10 years old, then the indicator is calculated using the following formula:

1500 x (S: 1.73), where S is the surface of the body (depending on the height and weight of the child).

The bladder in newborn babies, unlike adults, is located higher. It can be felt above the pubis. Ultrasound diagnostics is performed to identify pathologies.

In case of inflammation of the organ, additional examination is carried out, and appropriate treatment is prescribed. In this case, the size of the bladder does not change.