Stress and Urge Incontinence: Which Do I Have?
Millions of Americans struggle with urinary incontinence. This bladder problem can have more than one cause. Stress and urge incontinence are common types, but how do you know which one you have?
Common Urological Conditions that Affect Men
The trip you take to the bathroom to urinate is the end result of a process your body uses to take the nutrients from food and drink, convert it to energy, filter out the blood and remove waste. Your urinary system is an important part of how you process what your body digests; it includes organs and tissue like your kidneys, ureter, urethra, and urinary bladder.
Men and women both suffer from conditions that affect these parts of your body, but due to our anatomical differences, some things will affect men in specific ways. Let’s look at the common urological issues that men deal with by examining the urinary system, anatomical differences between the sexes that impact problems and what conditions men may experience.
If you live in Pompano Beach and nearby areas of South Florida and you need help with a urinary problem, Drs. Craig Herman, Steven Kester, and their skilled medical team at Urology Center of Florida can help.
The urinary system
We eat so our bodies can convert the materials in our food into nutrients and other chemicals our bodies need to live. The urinary system doesn’t get involved until the food has been chewed and has made its way into the digestive tract. The waste left behind after your digestive system is done with the food and drink you intake goes to your kidneys, which eliminate it in liquid form (urea), which comes from proteins like meat, poultry, and some vegetables being broken down. It also retains chemicals such as potassium and sodium.
Once the urea has been filtered, it travels from the kidneys through your ureter into your bladder, where it is stored until you expel it through your urethra during urination.
Anatomical differences affecting illnesses
While both men and women have the same basic organs in their urinary systems, there are a few important anatomical differences. Because women don’t have external sexual organs, it takes a shorter time for urea to travel through the urethra to be expelled, and when they deal with urinary problems it takes a shorter time for bacteria and other substances to get in and cause infections. Men also have a prostate (also referred to as the prostate gland), which is a walnut-sized organ located between your bladder and penis that makes a fluid that protects and nourishes sperm. Its location can create problems in your urinary system if something happens to it.
Urinary conditions unique to men
Here are some common urinary conditions men deal with:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
More commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate, this condition becomes more common as men age. As the prostate is in close proximity to most of your urinary system, if it grows it can create blockages in your ureters or urethra, making urinating uncomfortable and more difficult.
Erectile dysfunction
This inability to get or maintain an erection isn’t generally an issue unless it becomes persistent. It can be a sign of a variety of other conditions like cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and low testosterone.
Peyronie’s disease
This disease causes your penis to curve and lose length and girth due to excess scar tissue (plaque). A curving penis is perfectly normal, but it usually bends upward. With this disease it bends sideways or downward and can become dented, leading to it getting shorter.
Kidney stones
While both sexes can experience kidney stones (also known as renal calculi), they are more common in men. While commonly developing in your kidneys, these stones can originate in any part of your urinary tract, and come in four types (cystine, struvite, uric acid, and calcium).
These conditions are specific to men, and while they can be painful and unpleasant, we can help. Call or message us to make an appointment with Drs. Herman, Kester, and Urology Center of Florida today to treat your urinary needs.
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