The Urinary Tract is one of the most critical parts of the body. It’s also referred to as the renal system in the body. This processes, stores and excretes a person’s urine, which is, in essence, a waste product of the kidneys. Poor functioning of the urinary tract system can, unfortunately, lead to serious diseases for the body. As it contains vital organs such as the kidney, bladder, urethra, and ureter.

When the Urinary Tract is working perfectly well, the urine travels from the kidneys to the ureters and then to the bladder. When the bladder is full, that’s when you feel that you have to urinate. When this happens, you have to do so. Holding in your urine is the starting point of common problems, such as the following:

1. Bladder Cancer

The bladder is that organ in the urinary system that’s responsible for storing urine. When your bladder deteriorates, the storage of urine is interrupted. In some cases, it leads to bladder cancer. This type of cancer happens around the lining of the bladder itself. Generally, smoking and chemical exposure in the workplace are the two risk factors.

Symptoms of bladder cancer include:

  • Pain in the lower back
  • Blood in the urine
  • Pain when urinating
  • Increased frequency of urination

When diagnosed with bladder cancer, some of the more common forms of treatment include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and biologic therapy. You can click here to learn more about this, and have access to some of the best physicians in this field.

2. Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) generally isn’t anything serious to worry about. With the prescription of antibiotics by your doctor, this resolves in about seven to ten days. UTI occurs when there’s an infection in any part of your urinary tract, due to the presence of bacteria. Women are generally more prone to UTI and can seek treatment at this private urologist.

Symptoms of UTI include:

  • Pelvic pain for women
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • Foul-smelling urine
  • Smaller quantity of urine each time you feel the urge to pee
  • Colored, dark or red and pinkish urine
  • Pain when you urinate

3. Chronic Kidney Disease

Every person has two kidneys. The main task of the kidney is to filter out your blood. In so doing, it removes wastes, which then becomes your urine. When you can’t filter out blood in your body, this means that your kidneys aren’t functioning well. This is what’s referred to as Chronic Kidney Disease.

When you have this disease, waste builds up in your body, because you’re unable to excrete it. The waste build-up in your body is a precursor to other serious health issues. Unfortunately for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, the symptoms don’t show up early. Often, this is felt when it’s already in its advanced stage, and it’s seen only through regular blood check-ups.

To keep your kidneys healthy, here are some tips for you to remember:

  • Don’t smoke and drink too much alcohol.
  • Eat food with less sodium.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Drink water to stay hydrated.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • Choose food that are heart-friendly, such as fruits and vegetables.

Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease generally includes dialysis maintenance and kidney transplant.

4. Kidney Stones

Kidney stones refer to hard, mineral deposits on your kidneys. When these start to form in your kidney, it affects your kidney’s overall ability to filter out blood and excrete urine. In most cases, this will also put you in a lot of pain. Kidney stones develop over time due to the forming of concentrated urine. This happens when you hold in your urine when you feel like urinating.

Other symptoms of the presence of kidney stones include:

  • Urinating small quantities
  • Pain in the back and side
  • Fever and chills
  • Pain when urinating
  • Frequent urination

When you start feeling any of the above, you must see a doctor immediately. This allows the doctor to remove the stones, before it multiplies even more, or become harder to control. Else, it can lead to other serious urinary tract diseases.

5. Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic Nephropathy is also referred to as Diabetic Kidney Diseases. This is already an after-math if you’ve already had diabetes in the first place. When not controlled, one of the very first organs to get damaged is the kidneys. When this happens, waste and blood gets filled up in the blood, rather than leaving the body.

Patients who have diabetes generally go through regular screenings for kidney disease. This is because symptoms also don’t show up until the later stage. When the kidneys fail, the treatment also includes dialysis to clean up the blood and kidney transplant.

Conclusion

The Urinary Tract is very important in working alongside other organs such as the lungs and the heart in creating a balance of fluids and chemicals in the body. The primary organ of the Urinary Tract is the kidneys. When these fail, you’re a candidate for serious problems. Some of the troubles with the urinary tract can be minor, while others are serious. The most important thing is that if you feel you’ve got any of those mentioned above, you go and see a doctor immediately.