Urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra. Your urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis and out the urethral meatus (the opening at the tip of the penis) during urination.
Many men with a stricture will have increasing discomfort with urinating and a slowing of the urinary stream. This can develop gradually and lead to pushing or straining to get urine out. In others, the problem will show up suddenly and without prior difficulty, requiring immediate care.
The most common causes appear to be chronic inflammation or injury. Scar tissue can gradually form from:
The scar tissue causes the urethra to become narrow, making it more difficult for urine to flow. Sometimes, the inflammation or injury to the urethra happens long before the stricture becomes noticeable. In other cases, the stricture happens soon after a urethral injury.