The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Its main function is filtering waste products from the blood and maintaining fluid balance. The kidneys produce urine, which travels through the ureters to the bladder for storage before being expelled through the urethra. When any part of this system malfunctions, it can lead to various ailments that disrupt normal bodily function.
Infectious and Inflammatory Ailments
A common issue affecting the lower urinary tract is the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), typically caused by bacteria like Escherichia coli. UTIs cause symptoms such as a burning sensation during urination, increased frequency, and urgency. If the infection reaches the bladder, the localized inflammation is termed Cystitis, resulting in bladder discomfort and sometimes cloudy urine.
Interstitial Cystitis (IC), often called painful bladder syndrome, is chronic inflammation that occurs without a detectable bacterial infection. Unlike a typical UTI, IC involves long-term pain and pressure in the bladder wall that does not resolve with antibiotics. Symptoms include urgency and frequency, but IC is thought to involve immune system responses or nerve dysfunction, causing symptoms to wax and wane.
Structural and Obstructive Disorders
Mechanical issues can significantly impede the flow and storage of urine, starting with Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis). These hard deposits form in the kidney when concentrated urine allows minerals and salts, such as calcium oxalate or uric acid, to crystallize. Stones typically cause severe, colicky pain radiating from the flank to the groin when they move into the narrow ureters, often accompanied by blood in the urine. While small stones may pass naturally, larger stones may require procedures like lithotripsy or surgical removal.
Issues with urine storage and control include Urinary Incontinence (UI), the involuntary leakage of urine. Stress incontinence involves leakage during physical pressure, such as coughing, due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. Overactive Bladder (OAB) is characterized by urgency and frequency, often due to involuntary contractions of the bladder’s detrusor muscle, and if leakage occurs, it is termed urge incontinence. Management often begins with behavioral therapies, such as bladder training, lifestyle modifications, and pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegels) to strengthen supporting muscles.
Urethral Stricture
Urethral Stricture is an obstructive problem involving the narrowing of the urethra, typically due to scar tissue from injury, infection, or prior instrumentation. This restriction impedes urine outflow, resulting in a weak stream, incomplete bladder emptying, and a higher risk of UTIs.
Chronic and Systemic Kidney Diseases
Long-term, progressive damage to the kidneys’ filtering units leads to systemic illness, starting with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). CKD is defined by a gradual loss of kidney function over three months or more, determined by a reduced glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This progressive decline results in the retention of waste products and complications such as anemia and high blood pressure.
A specific cause of kidney damage is Glomerulonephritis, the inflammation of the glomeruli, which are the filtering units within the nephrons. This inflammation impairs the ability to filter blood effectively, allowing protein and blood cells to leak into the urine. If left untreated, Glomerulonephritis can significantly contribute to the development and progression of CKD.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetic cause of CKD characterized by the development and progressive enlargement of numerous fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys. These cysts gradually displace and destroy normal kidney tissue, causing the organs to enlarge and lose function over time. The most common form often progresses to end-stage kidney failure, requiring dialysis or transplantation.