Incontinence
Loss of bladder control is referred to as urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence occurs if the bladder muscles suddenly contract or muscles surrounding the urethra suddenly relax. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men. Various factors like pregnancy and childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference.
Causes of urinary incontinence
Drinking a lot of fluid or any other beverages in a short period of time increases the amount of urine in the bladder which results in urinary incontinence. Alcohol causes the bladder to fill quickly and triggers an urgent and uncontrollable urination. Alcohol also temporarily impairs the ability to recognize the need to urinate and act in a timely manner.
Sedatives such as sleeping pills can interfere with your ability to control bladder function. Water pills like diuretics, muscle relaxants and antidepressants can cause an increase in urinary incontinence. High blood pressure drugs, heart medications and cold medicines also affect the urinary bladder function.
Urinary tract infection can cause bladder irritation and even incontinence. Consuming foods and beverages that irritate your bladder like carbonated drinks, tea and coffee may cause episodes of urge incontinence.
Tackling urinary incontinence
Exercises help to strengthen pelvic floor muscles and sphincter muscles. Electrical stimulation is used to reduce stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Hormones such as estrogen cause muscles involves in urination to function normally. Surgery is suggested to alleviate incontinence only after other methods and treatments have failed.
Cervical Spondylitis
Neck pain that affects the cervical spin is called cervical spondylitis. This pain can spread to the rear of the neck, both sides of the shoulder, collar bone and shoulder joints. It restricts neck movement and the arms become motionless due to weakness in muscles.
Spondylitis symptoms
- Inflammation of the spine and other joints
- Back pain
- Hip pain
- Leg pain
- Spinal deformity
- Bowel incontinence
- Bladder incontinence
- Pain while moving the affected joint
- Decreased mobility
- Pins and needles or burning/tingling/creeping sensation of the skin in the back, leg and thigh
Urologist
An urologist is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases related to the male and female urinary tract and male reproductive organs. Urologists are meant to be surgeons who have specialized in the aforesaid field. Urologists specialize in treating diseases related to the kidney, uterus, urinary bladder, male reproductive organs and urethra. Urologists have to complete medical school followed by one year internship and then followed by specialization of three years in the field of urology. They can further attain qualifications in sub-specialties such as pediatric urology, female urology, neurourology etc.
Tasks of an urologist
Urologists mainly focus on:
- Prescribe medications for urinary infections. In women, urogynecologists treat problems related to the reproductive systems in women.
- Perform surgeries for urinary infections.
- Treat problems such as incontinence (holding back urine).
- Give treatment for urinary stones.
- Treat impotence in men and any other related problem with the reproductive organs of men such as infertility.
- Conduct renal transplants (kidney transplantation).
Latest techniques employed in the field of urology
Modern technologies have seen the use of:
- Ultrasound and various other diagnostic imaging techniques are used to detect stones in the bladder. They give clear picture of the bladder and its contents.
- Cytoscope is used to study the bladder in detail thereby giving a clear picture of any disorder present.
Bibliography / Reference
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