Look After Your Urinary Health

Urology diseases are conditions affecting the organs responsible for producing, storing and expelling your urine.

Your urology system comprises your kidneys, bladder, ureters – the tubes carrying urine from your kidneys to your bladder – and your urethra, the tube linking your bladder to the outside world.

• Kidney Health

Your kidneys have the mammoth task of filtering out waste products from your blood and shunting them into your urine, as well as extracting excess water so you don’t become dehydrated. They’re on duty 24 hours every day.

One issue affecting kidneys are kidney stones, hard deposits containing salts and minerals forming inside your kidneys. Stones can develop inside the ureters, urethra or bladder, too. They tend to occur when certain chemicals like uric acid, oxalate and calcium become very concentrated in the urine, forming crystals. If a stone becomes lodged in one of your ureters it can cause extreme pain.

People who consume a lot of soft drinks containing high fructose corn syrup, as well as those with problems metabolising calcium, or issues with blood sugar control, are all at risk of developing kidney stones. Your gut plays a role here, too – it’s believed certain bacteria in your gut help to metabolise the oxalic acid naturally present in many foods, and if these bacteria are missing, this oxalate can go on to form kidney stones.

Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, affects over 12,000 people in the UK each year. Kidney cancer doesn’t always produce symptoms, but you may find blood in your urine, have a dull pain or lump in your side between your abdomen and back, a fever, or you may find you’re losing weight.

• Bladder Health

Your bladder is a muscular, hollow pouch with the job of collecting and storing your urine.

Bladder cancer affects over 10,000 people in the UK annually. The most common warning sign is blood in the urine. This may occur suddenly and come and go. Blood in your urine can also be a sign of a bladder infection or stones.

Cystitis is usually connected with a bacterial infection in your bladder, or it can be caused by chronic inflammation of your bladder wall, when it’s known as interstitial cystitis. A bout of cystitis will usually mean you need to rush to the toilet more often, and you may have a burning sensation when you pee. Many women experience repeated episodes of cystitis.

A urinary tract infection affects your ureters, urethra and kidneys as well as your bladder. They’re usually caused by the E coli bacteria, but can be caused by fungi.

In older people, a urinary tract infection can escalate into a medical emergency if the bacteria spread to the bloodstream and into the brain.

Many women suffer from urinary incontinence, especially after childbirth or at menopause, yet it’s rarely openly discussed.  But if you are suffering, you’re not alone – one survey found 42% of UK women questioned reported experiencing leakage of urine in the previous 30 days.

You might find you have an overwhelming urge to pass water, even if there isn’t much urine in your bladder. This is called urge incontinence. Stress incontinence on the other hand occurs when urine leaks out with movement such as jumping, or when laughing or coughing. Unbalanced hormones can play a role in urinary incontinence.

Frequent episodes of urinary tract infections, cystitis or ongoing urinary incontinence can make your life a misery.