Bladder Control Problems in Men

Bladder control problems in men can develop as they grow older. However, accidental leakage of urine, frequent urination, or the urgent need to urinate don’t have to be parts of aging. There are treatments available to manage bladder control problems.

Problems in bladder control have several types including urinary incontinence and overactive bladder.

Urinary incontinence occurs when there is accidental leakage of urine. Certain actions or activities, such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting can cause urine to leak. In addition, accidental leaking of urine may occur after a sudden, strong urge to urinate. Moreover, urine leaks as a constant dribbling. Men with this problem usually need to urinate often and commonly pass small amounts of urine each time.

Overactive bladder is a condition that occurs when the bladder squeezes urine out at the wrong time. Having two or more of the following symptoms may mean that you have overactive bladder:

 urination eight or more times a day or two or more times at night
 the sudden, strong need to urinate immediately
 urine leakage that follows a sudden, strong urge to urinate

Causes of bladder control problems may include prostate and nerve conditions. Prostate problems like enlarged prostate, which squeezes the passageway of urine, can cause weak urine stream; an urgent need to urinate followed by leakage; and frequent urination, especially at night.

Sometimes, surgery or radiation therapy to treat cancer of the prostate can cause temporary or permanent problems in bladder control.

Having nerve problems, especially those that send signals to the bladder may cause it to become uncontrollable. The damaged nerves may cause the bladder to squeeze out urine at the wrong time or may not send signals at all. Injuries to the spinal cord or conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and stroke can cause nerve problems.

Bladder Problems Treatment and Management

Some cases of bladder problems may be managed through changes in some daily habits. For example, set a schedule for trips to the bathroom to avoid accidental leakage. You could limit fluids at certain times of the day. Certain lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol, drinking less caffeine containing drinks, and avoiding lifting heavy objects may also help.

Your doctor can prescribe medicines to help you empty your bladder more fully or tighten muscles that can lessen leakage. There are medications available to calm abnormal nerve signals to the bladder. If the cause of bladder problem is a blockage due to an enlarged prostate, your doctor may suggest surgery.

If you have symptoms like painful urination with blood in the urine, see your doctor. These could be signs of bladder cancer.

Sources:
Bladder Control What Men Need to Know (November 2007). NIH Publication No. 08–6178. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). Accessed: November 23, 2009

Age Page: Urinary Incontinence (June 2008). National Institute on Aging. Accessed: November 23, 2009

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Bloody Urine: Is it Dangerous or Not?

Having bloody urine, or hematuria, may not be dangerous or it can be a sign of a more serious health problem.

Bloody urine occurs when red blood cells—the blood cells that make the color of blood red—are found in the urine. The color of urine may vary from pale pink to the color of cola. Sometimes, you might have hematuria but are not aware of it because it is not seen with the naked eye. This is termed as microscopic hematuria. This type, can only be detected if viewed under a microscope.

Gross hematuria is the term used when blood is present in your urine and can be seen by the naked eye.

There are several conditions that can cause hematuria including kidney stones passing through the urinary tract, glomerular disease, Henoch – Schönlein Purpura (HSP), and Medullary sponge kidney. In some cases, hematuria may occur after performing strenuous exercises, which goes away within 24 hours. While sometimes, bloody urine (hematuria) is not dangerous, it can also be a sign of a tumor or serious health problem. You should ask your doctor if you need to be tested.

Sometimes, the condition can occur as a result of diagnostic testing to view the urinary tract like cystoscopy and ureteroscopy. However, hematuria should not last for more than 24 hours after the test.

Hematuria treatment depends on the cause. For example, if a kidney stone is causing the condition, removing, breaking, or naturally flushing the stones may make hematuria go away. If no serious health problem is causing hematuria, special treatment may not be necessary.

Source:
Hematuria (Blood in the Urine). NIH Publication No. 07–4559, February 2007. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/hematuria/). Accessed: November 23, 2009

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Cancer of the Urinary System

Cancer of the urinary system occurs when cancer forms in any of the urinary tract. Cancer can occur in any of the urinary tract, but often it affects the kidney, bladder, and the prostate gland in males.

Cancer occurs when cells comprising the organs, divide uncontrollably to form new cells. These new developed cells can form a mass called tumor. This tumor can grow large to the extent that it can compress other nearby organs. Sometimes the cancer cells go out and travel through the blood or lymph and can cause cancer to other organs. This spreading of cancer cells is called metastasis.

Urinary tract cancer is best managed when it is found in its early stages when it has not spread to other organs. Also, successful treatment of cancer affecting the urinary system depends on the age and overall health of the patient and whether cancer cells have affected other organs

The following are some of the common cancers affecting the urinary system.

• Bladder Cancer

• Kidney Cancer

• Prostate Cancer (Affect males only)

Source:
National Cancer Institute. Cancer Topics (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics). Retrieved November 2009

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What is Cystitis or Bladder Infection?

Cystitis is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that occurs in the bladder. The bladder is the urinary tract structure that stores urine until it is eliminated through urination. Cystitis is commonly caused by bacteria. Often, these bacteria travel from the urethra—the small tube that drains urine from the bladder—proliferate and cause inflammation to the urethra, called urethritis. Sometimes, the bacteria are not flushed out and can travel up to the bladder to cause bladder infection, or simply cystitis causing inflammation.

Symptoms of cystitis may include burning feeling when you urinate; frequent or intense urges to urinate; pain in the back or lower abdomen; cloudy, dark, bloody, or unusual-smelling urine; and fever or chills.

Treatment of cystitis usually involves antibiotic therapy. However, the antibiotics prescribed depend on the type of bacteria causing the infection. Often, the health care provider recommends drinking fair amounts of water to help flush the bacteria.

Our Urinary Tract Infection page has more detailed information about urinary tract infections.

Source:
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. What I Need to Know About Urinary Tract Infections (http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uti_ez/index.htm). NIH Publication No. 07–4807, August 2007. Retrieved November 2009

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What is Continent Urinary Diversion?

Continent urinary diversion is a type of urinary diversion, which is done in people who are unable to release urine from their body naturally. It involves the creation of something like a pouch or reservoir inside the body. Commonly, a part of the digestive tract is used.

The ureters, which normally carry urine from the kidneys to bladder, carry urine into the pouch, where it can be stored.There are two types of continent diversion: continent cutaneous reservoir and bladder substitute. Depending on the type, the doctor may or may not form a stoma. A stoma is an opening in the abdomen where urine can be redirected to the outside.

• Continent cutaneous reservoir. This type of continent diversion involves the making of a stoma. This method requires a person to empty the reservoir, the internal pouch, regularly through the stoma with the use of a catheter or thin plastic tube.

If the urethra is not removed during operation, a person may be able to have a urinary diversion that does not require a stoma or catheter.

• Bladder substitute. A type of continent diversion, bladder substitute lets a person urinate through his or her own urethra. Sometimes, a catheter may be used to empty the bladder substitute through the person’s urethra.

In this procedure, the surgeon creates an internal pouch that stores urine much like the bladder did. It is connected to the urethra so the bladder may be emptied in a normal way. However, different muscles may be needed to expel the urine.

There are other ways to eliminate urine when the bladder is not functioning properly. The doctor may recommend a procedure called urostomy, where the ureter is directly connected to the opening in the abdomen (stoma). Read on our topic about urostomy.Source:

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Urostomy and Continent Urinary Diversion (http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/urostomy/). NIH Publication No. 06–5629, May 2006. Retrieved November 2009

Image Credit: NIDDK Image Library

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