Urological Conditions – Why Is Awareness So Important?

Introduction

Urological diseases are some of the most less talked about diseases around the world. As these diseases affect your urinary tract or reproductive organs, people tend to hide these problems instead of getting them addressed.

Urological diseases destroy your “quality of life” and it only happens because of a lack of awareness. These conditions generally do not require a long-lasting treatment and are easily curable but it is the unawareness that is making people suffer in silence.

To spread awareness about the urological conditions, the European Association of Urology (EAU) runs a campaign named “Urology Week” that aims at educating people about urological diseases and why they should not think it is taboo to talk about these issues.

What are Urological Diseases?

Urological diseases refer to a huge array of conditions that are mainly related to the filtering and carrying of urine out of the patient’s body. These diseases can affect anyone, irrespective of their age or gender.

These conditions mainly attack some particular parts of the body. Women experience these conditions in the urinary tract, while men experience these conditions in the urinary tract or the reproductive organs.

Most Common Urological Diseases

There are plenty of urological conditions and diseases. Here we will be discussing some of the most common ones among them. Have a look –

1. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

BPH refers to an enlarged prostate, which means that there is an increase in the size of the prostate gland of the patient. Old men suffer from the problem very often but it does not hold any direct connection to prostate cancer.

People experience the symptoms of BPH only because of the pressure an enlarged prostate puts on the urethra, which is a narrow tube responsible for carrying urine from the bladder to outside the body.Men suffering from BPH experience a frequent urge to urinate. It may also lead to a weak stream of urine when you go to urinate and even after urinating, you may feel like the bladder is not completely empty.

Depending upon the severity of the condition, your doctor may either choose to just monitor the condition, prescribe some medications like alpha-blockers or suggest you undergo surgery.

2. Urinary Incontinence

Despite being very inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing, urinary incontinence is a very common problem across the world. In this condition, the patient loses bladder control that results in unintended leakage of urine.

This problem can arise out of several situations. Listed here are some of the most common causes of it:

• Diabetes
• Overactive bladder
• Pregnancy
• Enlarged prostate
• Childbirth
• Weak muscles in the bladder
• Weak muscles in the sphincter
• Multiple sclerosis
• Urinary tract infections
• Parkinson’s disease
• Spinal cord injury
• Severe constipation

In most cases, the doctors just tell you to make some lifestyle changes like controlling your fluid intake to treat this issue. When these approaches do not yield desired results, your doctor may also ask you to undergo surgery to treat the cause of the condition.

3. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

UTIs are caused due to pathogenic bacteria that tend to invade the urinary tract to cause infection. This condition mainly affects women but men can contract it too. According to a study, about 40 percent of women and 12 percent of men experience UTI that presents themselves with noticeable symptoms at any stage of their lives.

The most common symptom of UTI is a burning sensation while urinating. The other symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and even after urinating, you may feel like the bladder is not completely empty.

Doctors generally treat this problem with antibiotics. The medicines clear up most UTIs within five to seven days.

4. Kidney and Ureteral Stones

Kidney stones get developed when there are crystals in the urine that get surrounded by small particles. Ureteral stones are those that travel from the kidney into the ureter. The ureter is the tube that is responsible for carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

These stones usually block the flow of the urine and may cause a lot of pain. Some people manage to get the smaller stones out of their system without taking any medical help but when these stones are bigger, the blockage can be more problematic and extremely painful.

To get these large stones out of the system, the doctors may recommend you some medical or surgical procedures. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a very common technique doctors use these days to treat their patients. This technique involves sound waves to break the stones into small pieces making it easier for the patient to expel them easily out of their body.

Other Urological Conditions

There are more urological conditions that people may experience:

• Prostate cancer
• Hematuria
• Interstitial cystitis
• Prostatitis
• Bladder cancer
• Erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Bladder prolapse
• Overactive bladder

Takeaway

Urological diseases are very common and they completely destroy your quality of life, just because you feel embarrassed talking about them. Well, there is nothing to be embarrassed about as many people suffer from these issues and the best way to stay trouble-free is to consult a doctor immediately. Being aware of the symptoms of the diseases and taking the necessary precautions can save you from these conditions completely.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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