Miktion

Miktion is a term used in medical contexts to refer to the act of urination, more commonly known in English as micturition or urination. The spelling Miktion appears in some non-English medical literature, particularly as a direct transliteration of the Latin root mictio, and is used in certain German-language texts to denote the same process. In English, micturition is the standard term.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from Latin mictio, meaning the act of urinating. In multilingual medical references, Miktion may appear as a variant spelling or as the noun die Miktion in German, but the concept remains the same across languages: the process by which the bladder empties urine through the urethra.

Physiology: Micturition is typically described as a two-phase process: storage and voiding. During storage, sympathetic activity maintains contraction of the internal urethral sphincter and relaxation of the detrusor muscle to hold urine. Sensory signals from bladder stretch reach the central nervous system, contributing to the urge to void. Voiding, or the micturition reflex, is mediated by parasympathetic activation that causes detrusor contraction and relaxation of the internal sphincter, with voluntary control of the external urethral sphincter via the pudendal nerve.

Clinical relevance: Problems with miktion include urinary incontinence, urge or overactive bladder, urinary retention, and neurogenic bladder. Evaluation often involves patient history, physical examination, urinalysis, and urodynamic testing to assess bladder capacity, sensation, and detrusor activity. Management depends on the condition and may include behavioral strategies, medications, or procedural interventions.