Most Common Conditions Urologists Treat
Urologists are physicians who specialize in treating conditions involving the urinary tract and male reproductive organs. They treat a wide range of issues such as kidney stones, urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, testicular problems, urinary incontinence, and cancers of the urinary tract. With their advanced skill set, urologists provide critical diagnosis, treatment, and management of this diverse set of urological conditions in both men and women. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most common conditions urologists treat on a regular basis.
Urinary Tract Infections
One of the most prevalent issues that brings patients to a urologist is recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs occur when bacteria, often from the digestive tract, travel up to infect the bladder, urethra, or kidneys. Common UTI symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, pain or burning during urination, cloudy or strange-smelling urine, pelvic pain, and fever or chills. While anyone can get UTIs, women tend to be more susceptible due to their shorter urethras.
Kidney Stones
Another prevalent urological issue is kidney stones or nephrolithiasis. Approximately 1 in 10 people in India develop kidney stones at some point in their life. These are hard deposits of minerals and salts like calcium that form inside the kidneys and travel through the urinary tract. This often causes excruciating pain in the back, side, lower abdomen, or groin. Other symptoms can include painful and urgent urination, nausea, vomiting, and blood in the urine.
Enlarged Prostate
As men age, many experience prostate gland enlargement called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate surrounds the male urethra, so as it grows larger, it obstructs urine flow and causes issues like increased urinary frequency and urgency, difficulty emptying the bladder, weak stream, urinary retention, and urinary tract infections.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis refers to inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland causing pelvic pain and urinary problems. It has several variations that urologists categorize as acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. The condition can severely impact a patient’s quality of life.
Bladder Cancer
As experts in the genitourinary tract, urologists also diagnose and treat a variety of urinary cancers like bladder cancer. During initial exams, they evaluate signs and symptoms, look for risk factors, and run urine and blood tests to check for cancer markers. If warranted, they will perform further testing like cystoscopy (inserting a scope into the bladder), biopsy, and imaging scans to check for tumors.
Conclusion
These are the most common conditions urologists treat and diagnose, which impact urinary function in both men and women. If you experience any symptoms related to the urinary tract or reproductive organs, visiting Hale Clinics is recommended, which is one of the Best Urologist Clinics in Mohali. Their professional doctors have the expertise to properly evaluate the issue and get you back to full health.
FAQs
Q1. Who is a urologist?
Ans. Urologists are physicians who specialize in treating conditions involving the urinary tract and male reproductive organs.
Q2. What are the most common conditions urologists treat?
Ans. Urologists treat a wide range of issues like kidney stones, urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, testicular problems, urinary incontinence, and cancers of the urinary tract.
Q3. What are kidney stones?
Ans. These are hard deposits of minerals and salts like calcium that form inside the kidneys and travel through the urinary tract.
Q4. How does UTI occur?
Ans. UTIs occur when bacteria, often from the digestive tract, travels up to infect the bladder, urethra or kidneys.
