Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common risk factors for developing kidney disease. Obesity, your gender, smoking, genetics, and your age all add to your risk. Even if you are free from kidney disease at the moment, consider these 20 healthful foods for fighting kidney disease.
It is a common misconception that urologists only treat men, but many women may need to see this specialist too. While your OBGYN will monitor your overall and reproductive health, they may refer you to a urologist to treat common disorders that affect your urinary tract.
4 Common Urological Issues for Women
Women can develop urological issues at any stage of life, but there are a number of medical conditions that become more common after menopause. The following issues are among the most treated in women:
Overactive Bladder
Simply put, having an overactive bladder means that you frequently have an urgent need to urinate. Those with an overactive bladder may exhibit some of the following symptoms:
A sudden urge to urinate that may be hard to control.
You awaken more than once a night to urinate.
You urinate eight or more times in 24 hours.
Causes of an overactive bladder range from something as simple as drinking too much caffeine to more serious conditions such as diabetes and kidney dysfunction. A urologist will perform tests to diagnose the cause.
When germs get into your urinary tract (bladder, kidneys and the tubes that connect them) a UTI can occur. Most UTIs occur low in the urinary tract and are harmless if treated quickly, but if it spreads to your kidneys, more serious complications can occur. Women are more susceptible than men to urinary tract infections simply because of differences in anatomy.
Common symptoms for this infection include burning when urinating, passing small amounts of urine frequently, bloody urine and pelvic pain.
The bladder is held in place by tissue called the pelvic floor. When that tissue is stretched or weakened, the bladder may drop into the vagina. Often caused by aging, obesity, menopause or a prior pelvic surgery, this condition may result in an overactive bladder, urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections.
How Do I Know When to Visit a Urologist?
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may need to be examined by a urologist:
Frequent urination
Blood in urine
Burning or discomfort when urinating
Pelvic pain
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please call Dr. Miguel Mercado at (281) 351-5174.
Managing BPH can be a daunting and frustrating situation for men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate, affects many men as they age, usually starting in their forties.
Many men think that prostate cancer isn’t something they have to worry about until much later in life. While this is a dominant myth, there are certainly many more that continue to spread around. Here are five that you should know that can keep you proactive with your health!
Since the introduction of the little blue pill known as Viagra into the marketplace, erectile dysfunction (ED) has become a much more common topic. However, for those men who continue to have issues with ED, there are a number of penile implant types which may be an option. But the real questions is, are you a candidate?
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men after skin cancer according to the American Cancer Society. This is a significant data point for men as the prostate is an important organ that sits below the bladder, and its function is to produce semen.
If you are a man or woman urinary incontinence shouldn’t let that stop them from enjoying life and the activities they love. Traveling by car, train, or airplane can be a bit worrisome, but with a little forethought you can learn how to make traveling easier if you have urinary incontinence.
Remember during puberty when your “little boy voice” disappeared, and you woke up one morning transformed with a deeper “manly” voice? Testosterone is the hormone that causes these types of changes, and for men it is a vitally important hormone that can affect their general health.