Bladder And Urinary Troubles
A prostate tumor that has grown significantly in size may start to press on your bladder and urethra. The urethra is the passage the carries urine from your bladder out of your body. If the tumor is pressing on your urethra, you might have trouble passing urine.
One of the common areas for prostate cancer to spread to is the bladder, because the two organs are close. This can cause additional problems with urination and bladder function.
Some symptoms your bladder and urethra are being affected by cancer include:
- urinating more frequently
- getting up in the middle of the night to pee
- feeling like you have to urinate often and not actually passing anything
Its not as common, but prostate cancer can also spread to your bowel. The cancer first spreads to the rectum, which is the part of your bowel closest to the prostate gland.
Symptoms of cancer thats spread to the bowels include:
How Common Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common prostate problem for men older than age 50. In 2010, as many as 14 million men in the United States had lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.1 Although benign prostatic hyperplasia rarely causes symptoms before age 40, the occurrence and symptoms increase with age. Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects about 50 percent of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and up to 90 percent of men older than 80.2
Diagnosis Of Enlarged Prostate Gland And Urinary Problems
If you are troubled by urination problems, see a doctor no matter what your age. If your doctor agrees that your symptoms need further evaluation and treatment, you may need to undergo a few tests.These may include:
- general examination medical history and review of any health conditions including obesity, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression and erectile dysfunction. A rectal examination may be done to check the size and shape of your prostate gland
- a urine check to ensure the prostate is not infected
- a flow-rate check to estimate the speed with which you pass urine
- an ultrasound examination to assess if the bladder is emptying completely and to examine your kidneys
- urodynamics a series of tests on the bladder to see how your urinary system is functioning may be recommended in some circumstances.
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What Causes Small Blood Clots In Urine
Urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate problems are common causes of small blood clots, which can sometimes look like coffee grounds. If you notice blood clots in your urine even small ones you should contact your doctor. Larger blood clots can block the flow of urine and cause discomfort, and theyre often a sign of a medical emergency.
If you notice different shapes of blood clots in your urine, such as a wormlike form, it may be a sign that you are experiencing bleeding from the urethra or prostate. If the clots are painful, they might be coming from the tubes that connect your kidneys to your bladder, known as ureters.
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International Prostate Symptom Score
You’ll be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess your symptoms. Each question has five possible answers that carry a score, and your overall score is used to assess the severity of your symptoms.
The checklist includes the following questions.
Over the past month:
- How often have you had the sensation of not completely emptying your bladder after urinating?
- How often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after finishing urinating?
- How often have you found that you stopped and started again when urinating?
- How often have you found it difficult to postpone urination?
- How often have you had a weak stream of urine?
- How often have you had to push or strain to begin urinating during the course of one night?
- How often have you had to get up during the night to urinate?
After your GP has assessed the severity your symptoms, they’ll aim to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms using certain tests.
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What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Benign prostatic hyperplasiaalso called BPHis a condition in men in which the prostate gland is enlarged and not cancerous. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or benign prostatic obstruction.
The prostate goes through two main growth periods as a man ages. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. The second phase of growth begins around age 25 and continues during most of a mans life. Benign prostatic hyperplasia often occurs with the second growth phase.
As the prostate enlarges, the gland presses against and pinches the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker. Eventually, the bladder may weaken and lose the ability to empty completely, leaving some urine in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and urinary retentionthe inability to empty the bladder completelycause many of the problems associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Personal And Family Medical History
Taking a personal and family medical history is one of the first things a health care provider may do to help diagnose benign prostatic hyperplasia. A health care provider may ask a man
- what symptoms are present
- when the symptoms began and how often they occur
- whether he has a history of recurrent UTIs
- what medications he takes, both prescription and over the counter
- how much liquid he typically drinks each day
- whether he consumes caffeine and alcohol
- about his general medical history, including any significant illnesses or surgeries
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Why Is There Blood In My Urine
Theres no doubt: Seeing blood in your urine can be scary! This condition, called hematuria, is fairly common and has many possible causes. If medical intervention is required, the treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the condition.
Gross hematuria describes blood in the urine you can see with the naked eye. Microscopic hematuria, on the other hand, describes blood in the urine only visible under a microscope. Both types of hematuria should be investigated to understand their root cause.
At Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia, our team of providers is dedicated to helping the men and women of Central Virginia feel their best and experience optimal urological health. As part of our comprehensive line of urological services, we specialize in diagnosing and treating the many causes of hematuria.
Our team of experts has curated this guide to help you understand the common causes of blood in the urine and when you should seek help.
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The 4 Causes Of An Enlarged Prostate
It is normal for a prostate to become enlarged as a man ages. The prostate is approximately the size of a walnut in younger men but can grow to be much larger as they get older. An enlarged prostate can cause no visible symptoms but will eventually impact urinary and erectile functions if not properly treated.
There are many reasons a prostate gets enlarged, and most of them arent cancerous. Here are the most common:
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Problems With Enlarged Prostate Gland
Benign enlargement of the prostate gland is more common as men get older. It can cause troublesome symptoms, although it doesnt always.
The urethra passes through the prostate gland, so men may have problems urinating if the enlarged gland restricts the flow of urine. If the flow stops completely, a catheter is required to empty the bladder. It is rare for this form of acute urinary retention to cause kidney damage.
An enlarged prostate doesn’t always cause urinary problems. Studies indicate that the size of a man’s prostate gland has little influence on the type or severity of his urination problems. BPH is just one possible cause of urinary symptoms.
Another cause of urinary symptoms can be changes to the muscular wall of the bladder, which may cause spasms of the bladder or weaken the bladder, causing problems passing urine.
How Is Hematuria Treated
The treatment will depend on the cause. Infections are likely treated with antibiotics. Prescription medications may be used for particularly painful kidney stones, or they may be broken down using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy . An enlarged prostate could be treated using alpha blockers, or surgery depending on the severity.
Methods to prevent and avoid future issues with urine in the blood include drinking plenty of water, urinate immediately after sex, practice good hygiene and stop smoking. Some dietary changes can help such as reduced salt intake limiting certain foods like spinach and rhubarb.
So if youre dealing with blood in your urine make an appointment to let the doctors at Urology Center of Florida give you the treatment you need.
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Intermittent Catheterization Mimics Natures Way
If your bladder is holding you back, IC is the second-best way to urinate, as it mimics the natural course of events. IC is an easy technique to learn, and it can be practiced everywhere. You use a disposable catheter, and it only takes a few minutes. It helps you to completely empty your bladder and puts you in control of your own well-being.
It is, in essence, very different from an indwelling catheter which remains in place for many days or weeks while draining urine from the bladder continuously.
How To Deal With Trouble Urinating
Theres no way to prevent an enlarged prostate. But if youre having urinary symptoms, there are plenty of options to help get things back to flowing right.
Hydrate with care
Drink fluids regularly to stay hydrated, but remember this: The more fluid you gulp down, the more often youll have to go especially if its a type of fluid that irritates the bladder. So, be smart about what you drink and when you drink it. For instance:
- Cut down on fluid intake in the evening, especially if you find yourself regularly making a 2 a.m. walk to the bathroom to pee.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners and colorings, which can irritate your bladder.
- Limit coffee, tea and soda consumption, given the caffeine thats typically in the drinks. Caffeine has a diuretic effect, meaning it makes you have to pee more.
- Watch your alcohol intake. Beer, booze and wine can also act as bladder irritants and a diuretic, which will make you pee more often and produce more urine.
Dont hold it
Use the bathroom regularly throughout the day. When you have to go, go, says Dr. Gill. Dont hold it in because the bladder is not as patient as it was when you were younger.
In general, your bladder should be emptied every two to three hours a pace rarely encouraged in life. From a young age, society teaches us to hold our urine, notes Dr. Gill. Think about grade school and your teacher telling you its not time for a bathroom break yet.
Practice the double void
Review your bedtime routine
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Reasons To Consider Bph Surgery
Surgery shouldn’t be seen as a last resort. It can be a great option for men who can’t take medications, want to get off medications, or desire more improvement in symptoms.
Benefits of surgical intervention for BPH:
“Every patient is different, and there are a lot of treatment options, so it can be difficult to decide which intervention to pursue,” says Dr. Christiansen. “It’s important to consider the size and shape of your prostate, overall health, as well as your symptoms and goals in terms of urinary and sexual function, to determine what’s right for you.”
Experiencing signs of prostate enlargement?800.922.0000
Diagnosis Of Blood In Urine
To understand why blood is appearing in the urine, doctors take a medical history and ask about possible reasons for the hematuria. A visible and microscopic evaluation of a urine sample may point to a cause. He or she also might order tests will check for kidney disease or other conditions.
If the physician suspects other physical abnormalities that might be causing blood to appear in the urine, he or she may order additional tests, including:
- Imaging tests: These might include a computed tomography scan, an ultrasound scan or a magnetic resonance imaging scan. These scans create images of the urinary tract to check for tumors, stones or abnormalities of the bladder, kidneys and urinary vessels.
- Cystoscopy: The physician inserts a small, lighted tube with a camera through the urethra to look for any issues. A small sample of tissue may be taken to check for any abnormal cells.
- Intravenous pyelogram: Dye is used before taking an x-ray, which can reveal structural issues of the urinary tract. This test is rarely obtained in modern practice.
- Kidney biopsy: A physician who suspects kidney disease may request a kidney biopsy, the removal of a small sample of kidney tissue for examination beneath a microscope.
If the doctor discovers an underlying condition that is causing the hematuria, he or she will treat that cause.
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Reasons Why There May Be Blood In Your Urine
Hematuria is the medical term for blood in urine. Its fairly common and affects up to 30% of the adult population. The volume of blood in urine ranges from microscopic, meaning
Blood can appear in the urine in microscopic amounts which would only be seen by medical instruments, or it may appear to cause a pinkish discoloration in the urine . So it is possible to get hematuria and not even know it, and it can happen for a variety of reasons.
To get both a proper diagnosis and treatment for a condition like hematuria you will want a skilled and capable medical team. Drs. Craig Herman, Steven Kester and the staff at the Urology Center of Florida have been serving the Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Greater South Florida areas for decades and have the expertise and experience to give quality treatment for hematuria and other urological needs.
What Is Overactive Bladder
According to the Urology Care Foundation, around 33 million Americans have OAB. They say estimate that 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women in the United States experience symptoms.
OAB is believed to occur due to malfunctioning nerves that trigger uncontrolled bladder muscle contractions that happen while the bladder is filling. The main symptom of OAB is a sudden urge to urinate thats hard to control. It can be stressful, and it can get in the way of your day-to-day life. It normally responds well to medical therapy.
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Going To The Toilet Often At Night
Nightly visits to the toilet are something that many men experience as they get older, and it’s a common symptom of Benign Prostate Enlargement .
Other symptoms are a slow or disrupted flow, an urge to urinate often and even having trouble holding it. You may have one or more these symptoms.
Often the signs of an enlarged prostate don’t reveal themselves overnight but happen gradually over time.
What Are The Symptoms
An enlarged prostate is the most common cause of urinary problems in men as they get older. Possible symptoms include:
- a weak flow when you urinate
- a feeling that your bladder hasnt emptied properly
- difficulty starting to urinate
- dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- a sudden urge to urinate you may sometimes leak before you get to the toilet.
You may not get all of these symptoms, and some men with an enlarged prostate dont get any symptoms at all. These symptoms can also be caused by other things, such as cold weather, anxiety, other health problems, lifestyle factors, and some medicines. If you have any symptoms, visit your GP to find out what may be causing them.
Blood in your urine may be a symptom of an enlarged prostate. But this is rare and is usually caused by something else. Tell your doctor if you have blood in your urine.
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Inflammation Of The Prostate Gland
Bacteria sometimes cause prostatitis . More commonly, the underlying cause is uncertain. Consult your doctor promptly if you experience:
- pain in the groin
- urgent and frequent urination.
Treatment with antibiotics is essential for acute bacterial prostatitis. Admission to hospital is often necessary and, as with chronic bacterial prostatitis, specific antibacterial drugs are required for a long time.
When Does A Prostate Problem Need Treatment
BPH requires treatment only if the symptoms are severe enough to be troublesome to the patient, if the function of the urinary tract is seriously affected or if there are other complications, such as bleeding, kidney infections or kidney damage. An enlarged prostate by itself is not enough reason to need treatment.
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How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will review your medical history, ask you questions and perform a physical examination. Part of the physical exam involves a digital rectal exam.
During a digital rectal exam, your healthcare provider will carefully insert their gloved digit into your rectum. Theyll feel the edges and surface of your prostate, estimate the size of your prostate and detect any hard areas that could be cancer.
Your healthcare provider may also order:
- A survey to evaluate the severity of your symptoms.
- A urine flow test to measure the speed of your pee stream.
- A study to detect how much pee remains in your bladder after youve finished peeing.
- A cystoscopy to look into your bladder.