Men over the age of 40 who see a urologist for a common problem such as pain, difficulty or change in urination can expect frequent testing, which is flowmetry.
What is flowmetry?
Specifically, flowmetry is a test that consists of measuring the amount of urine volume (i.e. urine) eliminated by time unit. The results are therefore expressed in cm³ or ml per second. Knowing this value is important to assess the state of the bladder, urinary tract and urinary muscles.
As it is easy to imagine, it is a simplest procedure, in which the patient will simply have to urinate into a funnel that records this parameter. Even so, there are some aspects that should be taken into account if the doctor prescribes this test.
In particular, it is recommended drink plenty of water before going to the doctor, so that the patient can make sure they feel like urinating and the test is effective, since a minimum volume of 150 ml is required for the result to be valid. However, you should not drink too much fluid either, as this could lead to overdistention of the bladder.
How to prepare
To be sure, the ideal is urinate about three hours before the appointment for flowmetry and then drink a glass of water (250 ml) every 20 to 30 minutes. Thus, it is most likely that the patient will feel like urinating once in the consultation.
If we do it this way, the results obtained should be valid and therefore be able to reveal problems such as weak flow, low volume of urine expelled, post-micturition dribbling or delay at the start of micturition. These are all symptoms of common urinary problems in men over 40 years of age.