Urinary Problems

There are a number of different types of problems that can occur along the urinary tract. There can be blockages due to inflammation or kidney stones, or failures of number of organs.

Page topics:

• Prostatitis
• Kidney Stones
• Kidney Failure (Renal Failure)
• Glomerulonephritis Nephritis Disease
• Polycystic Kidney (PKD)
• Bladder Problems

Prostatitis (men only)

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland, often resulting in four significant symptoms:

• Swelling or pain
• Urination problems such as red urine
• Sexual dysfunction
• Fatigue and a feeling of being depressed

Commonly accepted variations of the disease include:

• Nonbacterial (most common)
• Acute
• Chronic

Symptoms of this urinary tract problem may include frequent urination and pain in the lower abdomen or lower back area. Causes may be stress and irregular sexual activity.

Treatments for nonbacterial Prostatitis may include:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Muscle relaxants
• Relaxing hot baths
• Drinking extra fluids
• Learning to relax when urinating
• Changes in diet
• Ejaculating frequently to cleanse the prostate

Acute Bacterial Prostatitis can be the result of bacteria, a virus, or a sexually transmitted disease. Symptoms may include:

• Fever and chills
• Low back pain
• Frequent and painful urination
• Infrequent urination
• Weak stream when urinating

Treatments include antibiotics, bed rest, stool softener, and increased fluid intake.

Chronic Prostatitis may be bacterial or the result of an inflammation of the prostate. Symptoms may include:

• Frequent bladder infections
• Frequent Urination
• Persistent pain in the lower abdomen or back

This form of prostatitis often is treated with medications (often antibiotics), changes in the diet, biofeedback, and non-prescription supplements.

Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a solid piece of solid, stone-like calcium deposits that forms in the kidney out of substances in the urine. A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size before passage they can cause obstruction of the ureter. The resulting obstruction causes dilation or stretching of the upper ureter and renal pelvis as well as muscle spasm of the ureter, trying to move the stone. This leads to pain, most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin (a condition called renal colic). Renal colic can be associated with nausea and vomiting. There can be blood in the urine, visible with the naked eye or under the microscope due to damage to the lining of the urinary tract.

Kidney Stones Diagnosis:

• Radiological studies
• Ultrasound examination
• Urine tests
• Blood tests

Treatments - when a stone causes no symptoms, watchful waiting is a valid option. In other cases, pain control is the first measure, using for example non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some stones can be shattered into smaller fragments using sound waves. Sometimes a surgical or invasive procedure is required, which can be through a tube into the urethra, bladder and ureter (ureteroscopy), or open surgical approach from the kidney's side.

Preventive Measures

• Drinking sufficient amounts of water
• Maintaining proper hydration
• Not holding pee as holding urine can lead to problems
• Urinating frequently

Urinary Problem: Kidney (Renal) Failure

Kidney failure is a urinary tract problem that is hard to treat, hard to live with, is particularly depressing in addition to being extremely uncomfortable. Of all urinary problems it is one of the most dangerous because the kidneys simply stop working and removing waste from the body. The body simply accumulates toxic waste full of bacteria and unless doctors intervene, kidney failure can lead to death.

Glomerulonephritis (Glomerular Nephritis, G.N) disease

Kidney problem where the kidney's have problems removing waste material and excessive fluid, resulting in bleeding within the kidney. The disease ranges from mild to acute to chronic. Mild glomerulonephritis may never cause noticeable symptoms. Acute glomerulonephritis symptoms are:

• Fever, vomiting, headache and nausea
• Restlessness, loss of appetite
• Bone and muscle pains
• General edema
• Fluid retention
• Swollen and puffy eyelids
• Swollen ankles
• Swollen and puffy face
• High blood pressure
• Reduced urine (oliguria)
• Proteinuria
• Bloody urine (Hematuria)
• Dark or amber urine
• Albumin in urine
• Cloudy urine

Polycystic Kidney (PKD)

A disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys. Symptoms may include:

• Blood in your urine
• High blood pressure
• Back or side pain related to enlarged kidneys
• Headache
• Increased abdomen size
• Frequent urination
• Kidney Stones
• Kidney Failure
• Urinary Tract or Kidney Infections

It's not uncommon for people to have polycystic kidney disease for years without developing signs or symptoms and without knowing they have the disease. If you exhibit some of the signs and symptoms of polycystic kidney disease or have a first-degree relative with polycystic kidney disease, see your doctor to discuss the pros and cons of screening for this disorder.

Bladder Problems

One of the more common bladder problems is distended bladder where the bladder is visibly protruding due to swelling and fluid buildup.

More

We recently added more articles about topics of urinary tract illnesses. The latest is an article on Bacterial Cystitis which is an infection caused by abnormal or excessive growth of bacteria in the bladder.

Medical Help For Urinary Problems

If you feel you need to contact a doctor specializing in urology and receive medical treatment, take a look at our guides to

• Contact the Right Doctors
• Understand Medical Insurance