Catheters are used for many different purposes. Sometimes they are used in a hospital setting as a tool of diagnosis, since they offer doctors an easy way to track the amount and color of urine hour by hour. Sometimes paruretics and people who have trouble urinating for whatever reason will use a catheter for intermittent self-catheterization, which can offer periodic relief.

Although catheters are generally considered safe, there are a few risks to using them that you should know of. When you’re using a Foley catheter, you’ll be both safer and at a greater risk. You’ll be safer because only a professional will insert a Foley catheter, but you’ll be at a greater risk because Foley catheters have small balloons at the end that are meant to fill with fluid when they reach the bladder. These balloons generally cause few problems, but they can inflate too soon, damaging the urethra, or burst in the bladder, which will mean that a doctor will have to carefully remove all of the pieces.

Using intermittent self catheterization on your own at home can be pretty safe as long as you are taught to complete the process safely and efficiently. There are, though, a few possible problems with this type of catheter, as well. First off, the main risk is of urinary tract infections; since you’re putting something foreign in your urethra, you’ll be introducing bacteria that could cause infection. Urinary tract infections aren’t usually a big deal, but they can get into the kidneys and cause major problems.

When a catheter is used on a regular basis by a paruretic, it has the added risk of become a tool upon which this person is dependent. This can mean that the person can have trouble overcoming his phobia in the future in a healthy, permanent way. In order to avoid this, those with paruresis should use other treatments alongside having a catheter for emergency situations.