Learn about the causes of Urinary Problems & find a practitioner in Auckland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin to help you overcome Urinary Problems within New Zealand.
Urinary problems include infections of the urinary tract and cystitis. The urinary system consists of the kidneys, bladder and urethra. Infections occur when bacteria spreads and moves through the urethra causing infection in the urinary tract. If this spreads to the bladder it can cause cystitis. If the infection continues into the kidneys it can cause pyelonephritis.
Causes of urinary problems
There are a number of problems that can affect the function of the
urinary system from infections to incontinence. The most common problem
is a urinary tract infection (UTI) which affects both men and women.
UTIs
are caused by bacteria entering and infecting the urinary tract. The
common bacteria that causes UTIs is Escherichia coli which lives in the
colon. The bacteria can enter through the urethra opening and multiply
in the bladder.
This infection is usually spread when wiping
the anus after using the toilet when the paper comes into contact with
the genitals. As the bacteria works its way through the urinary tract,
it infects the bladder (a condition known as cystitis) and can continue
toward the kidneys (a condition called pyelonephritis).
Another
common urinary problem is urinary incontinence. This is the
unintentional passing of urine and affects around three million people
in the UK. Although common in elderly people, the condition can affect
anyone but women are more susceptible than men.
There are a number of causes of incontinence:
Symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection (in the bladder) include:
A UTI will require a diagnosis by your GP. An upper UTI will require a
urine test but the typical symptoms of cystitis (infection of the
bladder) will usually not require further testing.
If you are
experiencing urinary incontinence then in the first instance visit your
GP. The GP will attempt to establish the type of incontinence you have
and there are a few tests to determine this.
First, your GP will
perform a physical examination to assess your urinary system. For
women, this may involve examination of the vagina to check the pelvic
floor muscle strength. Men may require a check of the rectum to see if
the prostate gland is enlarged.
If the GP suspects that the
problem is being caused by an infection, they will test your urine for
bacteria. If you're unable to fully empty your bladder, you may be
referred for an ultrasound to show how much urine is left in the
bladder after going to toilet. During this process, a small flexible
tube is inserted into your urethra and fed into the bladder.
If
the ultrasound fails to show how much urine is remaining in the
bladder, a catheter (small hollow tube) will be fed through the urethra
into the bladder to drain and measure the amount of remaining urine.
*Source: GoToSee.co.uk