Posts Tagged ‘Urinary bladder’

The Urinary and Respiratory System – what is it and why is it important for health ? – Part 3

The Urinary System

It works through the kidneys, filters wastes for the blood and excretes them from the body. There are some problems associated with the urinary system. These are:

- Kidney or bladder infection
If the person is experiencing dull pains in lower back and it gets worsen and sometimes accompanied by burning sensation when urinating along with chills and fever, then it could be a kidney or bladder infection. Have a urine test done and keep a watch for sometime and if still persists, seek a medical advice.

- Kidney stone
If a person is experiencing steady pain in one or both testicles spreading to lower back then it could be a kidney stone and an ultra sonography is done and is removed by lithotripsy. Keep a watch for sometime and if still persists, seek a medical advice.

- Bladder infection
If the person is experiencing ache or burning that occurs during intercourse or urination and is also accompanied by discharge and blood then it could be a bladder infection. Keep a watch for sometime and if still persists, seek a medical advice.

- Enlarged prostate
If a person is experiencing poor urine flow, frequent urge to go to toilet in night, feeling of full bladder, traces of blood in urine or semen then it could an enlarged prostate which is benign or prostate cancer which can be confirmed by PSA test or digital rectal exam. Medication or surgery is needed.

The Respiratory System

It allows the oxygen to be breathed in and carbon dioxide to be breathed out. There are some problems associated with the urinary system. These are:

- Asthma
If a person is experiencing wheezing, coughing, tightness in chest, breathlessness and it worsens in night, then it can be asthma in which there is swelling and narrowed in air pathways and proper medications, relievers and prev-enters can be used. Seek medical advice immediately.

- Lung cancer
If a person is experiencing persistent cough, coughing out Blood, breath shortness and difficulty in swallowing then it could be lung cancer which needs medical attention immediately.

- Tuberculosis (TB)
If a person is experiencing exhaustion, night sweats, appetite loss, mild fever, cough often with blood then it could be TB which can be treated with medication. Keep a watch for sometime and seek medical advice.

- Pleurisy
If a person is experiencing pain which worsens while you breathe then it could be pleurisy which is an inflammation of pleura or membrane covering the lungs. Antibiotics can treat this condition.

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Excessive urination during Pregnancy – Causes and Treatment

During pregnancy, you may feel the need to urinate frequently, sometimes even when the bladder is nearly empty. During later pregnancy, many women find the need to urinate more frequently. Many pregnant women leak some urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercising. During pregnancy it is normal to have to go to the bathroom often.
Frequent urination is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy that women experience. In fact, some women experience frequent urination and not even know they are pregnant yet. There are a couple of reasons for frequent urination during pregnancy.
Urinating often occurs during early pregnancy as soon as 6-7 weeks due to increased blood flow during pregnancy. Excess blood leads to extra fluid being processed through the kidneys to the bladder.

Causes:
The need to go to the bathroom will change throughout the stages of pregnancy. Sometimes you may feel the need to urinate more frequently. Other times, you feel like you’re back to normal.

- In the first weeks of pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which can make you urinate more frequently.
- Your body contains more fluid during pregnancy.
- Your kidneys work harder throughout pregnancy to remove waste products from your body.
- As the uterus grows and rises higher during the second trimester, some women find that they have to urinate as often as before.
- Towards the end of pregnancy, the baby moves down to prepare for childbirth. This increases the pressure on the bladder, causing more frequent urination.
- The added pressure may wake you up several times at night to urinate.
- You can also force some urine to leak out, particularly if the muscles around the urethra are not very strong.

For the first days after birth, you may urinate more often as your body gets rid of excess fluid from the pregnancy. But after a few days, your need to urinate should return to what it was before pregnancy.

Treatment:
Here are some tips for dealing with frequent urination or loss during pregnancy:

Avoid drinks with caffeine.
- Caffeine can make you urinate more frequently.
- Avoid drinks like coffee, tea, colas and other caffeinated beverages that lead to the problem.

Do the Kegel exercises.
- These simple exercises can help stop urine leakage by strengthening the muscles that keep the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) closed. They can even help prepare these muscles for labor and delivery.
- Do these exercises by squeezing the muscles you use to stop urine flow and hold for 10 seconds.
- Do this 10-20 times in a row at least three times a day.

Avoid drinking fluids before bedtime.
- Cut down on night visits to the bathroom, fluid intake should be earlier in the day.
- Reduce the amount you drink in the early evening and night.
- However, be sure to drink adequate amounts of water and juice during the day to ensure that there are robbing your body of vital fluids.

Completely empty the bladder.
- To help prevent leaks, make sure your bladder does not overfill.
- Try not to “hold it” when you feel the need to urinate. This may mean more trips to the bathroom.
- When you urinate, try to lean forward a bit in order to completely empty the bladder. Always empty your bladder before exercising.

Use a sanitary pad or panty shield.
- A pad or panty shield can take unexpected leakage caused by coughing or sneezing.

Urinary Incontinence – Causes, Risk factors and Types

Urinary incontinence is a condition in which there is an uncontrollable leakage of urine causing a social or hygienic problem. It is also known as overactive bladder. It can be caused by everyday habits, underlying medical conditions or physical problems.

Causes of Temporary Urinary Incontinence

- Alcohol
- Over-hydration
- Dehydration
- Caffeine
- Bladder Irritation
- Medications
Easily treatable medical conditions also may be responsible for urinary incontinence.
- Urinary tract infection.
- Constipation

Causes of persistent urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence can also be a persistent condition caused by underlying physical problems or changes, including:
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Changes with ageing
- Hysterectomy
- Painful bladder syndrome
- Prostatitis
- Enlarged prostate
- Prostate Cancer
- Bladder cancer or bladder stones
- Neurological disorders
- Obstruction

Types of Urinary incontinence in men & women

- Stress incontinence: It does not mean emotional stress. It is the leakage of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, walking, lifting heavy objects such as lifting a bag of groceries, rising from a sitting to a standing position, or other body movements that put pressure on the bladder.
- Overflow Incontinence: It results when the bladder is allowed to become so full that it overflows. Urine stream is weak with a frequent or constant dribble.
- Urge Incontinence: In this type of incontinence, an overactive bladder contracts without you wanting it to do so. You may feel as if you can’t wait to reach a toilet. It is found in people suffering from diseases such as diabetes, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
- Total Incontinence: It occurs when there is a complete loss of bladder control, usually occurring after some form of surgery to the lower urinary tract.
- Functional incontinence: It occurs when a disability stops from reaching the toilet in time for urination even though the urinary tract functions normally.

Risk Factors of Urine Incontinence

- Women are more likely to develop stress incontinence easily than men.
- As you get older, the muscles in your bladder and urethra lose some of their strength.
- The pressure on the bladder is increased if you are overweight.
- A chronic cough associated with smoking can cause episodes of incontinence or aggravate incontinence that has other causes.