Do you feel you can’t leave your home without fearing that you might have to urinate too frequently? Or do you feel like you have no control over your bladder? Or do you have pelvic pain or urinary stones, or kidney stones? All these problems have one solution, which is to visit a urologist.
What is Urology?
Urology is a branch of medicine that deals with male and female urinary tract diseases. A urinary tract consists of kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
- Kidneys: kidneys are called the filters of your body. They remove water and waste from your body. This waste becomes urine.
- Ureters: These tubes carry the urine from your kidneys to your bladder.
- Bladder: It is a bag-like organ that stores urine.
- Urethra: The tube that carries the urine from your bladder to the outside of your body.
It is a system that creates, stores, and removes urine from the body.
The medical professionals diagnosing and treating urinary tract diseases in both men and women are called urologists. Dr. Neeta Verma is an urologist in Bhubaneswar. She works at her clinic, Urology Care, and has 6+ years of experience.
When should you see a urologist?
You should check with a urologist if you are facing the following issues:
- Trouble urinating
- Urge to urinate frequently
- Blood in the urine
- Pelvic Pain
- Infertility
- Pain/ cloudy urine
- Kidney and Ureteral Stones
- Enlarged Prostate
Types of Urinary Problems
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate. It is common in older men. In BPH, men often have the urge to urinate frequently. They may also experience a weak urine stream and feel that their bladder is not completely empty.
Your urologist may treat this problem with medications. If the pain is severe, it can be treated with surgery.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
UTIs are very common in women, but they can also affect men. Bacteria generally cause UTIs, and they affect the bladder and urethra. The symptoms include a burning sensation while peeing, a constant urge to urinate, pelvic pain, sometimes fever, etc.
If the UTIs are not treated correctly, the bacterial infection can lead to the kidney. If the condition is not severe, the doctor may treat it with medications. Otherwise, they will tell you to get a urine culture test.
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control. It can result in unwanted urination at times. It is more common than you can imagine. There are a lot of things that can cause incontinence:
- Diabetes
- Enlarged prostate
- Overactive bladder
- UTI’s
- Pregnancy or childbirth
Kidney and Ureteral Stones
Kidney stones develop when crystals are present in the urine, and small particles surround and collect these crystals. Ureteral stones are the ones that move from the kidney to the ureters.
These stones can be excruciating, and they block the flow of urine. Some people might be able to get these stones out without any medical help. But if they are bigger, they need surgical treatments.
Other common urological conditions include:
- Bladder prolapse
- Bladder cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Overactive bladder
- Erectile dysfunction
- Blood in the urine
Causes of Urinary Problems
Urinary problems occur when bacteria, fungi, or viruses .present in the urinary tract. According to Dr. Neeta Verma, a urologist in Bhubaneswar, the following could be the causes that may lead you to urinary problems:
- Diabetes
- Weak immune system
- Enlarged prostate in men
- Other conditions like kidney stones
What can you do to avoid urinary infections?
You can do the following things to avoid urinary infections, says Dr. Neeta Verma, a urologist in Bhubaneswar:
- Drink a lot of water
- Urinate frequently
- Drink cranberry juice if you have UTIs
- Don’t smoke
- Limit your fluid intake at night time
- Avoid things that can aggregate the infections, like caffeine
- Limit the amount of salt you consume
Conclusion:
If you have trouble controlling your bladder or have pain in your pelvic area, it could be irritating. It is also embarrassing for some people if they have lost control of their bladder. A urologist can treat all your urinary conditions. And it can lead you to a tension-free life, where you don’t have to be afraid to leave your home because of the pain or embarrassment.
