Urinary Disorders

Urinary Disorders Overview

The urinary tract is an efficient system where in a 24-hour period, it thoroughly cleans roughly 200 quarts of fluid, returns most of it to the circulatory system and eliminates the leftover as urine through the bladder.

Although the system is effective and efficient, it commonly doesn't work well. These breakdowns in the system can cause discomfort and sometimes significant pain. Consider these statistics:

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), are second only to upper respiratory infections in frequency, account for 10 million visits to the doctor each year.
1 in 5 women will suffer from cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder, at some time in her life.
20% of women who have a UTI will have a second infection, and 30% of those will have yet another.
At least 10 million adults suffer from urinary incontinence (an inability to hold urine) to some degree.

How the Urinary Tract Works

The kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra and the male prostate are the main parts of the urinary tract.

Urinary Tract

Kidneys filter waste from the blood and eliminate it in the form of urine.
Ureters are narrow tubes through which the urine travels from the kidneys to the bladder.
The bladder stores urine until it is emptied from the body.
The urethra is the tube through which the urine leaves the body.

Common Problems with the Urinary Tract

The urinary tract is prone to several disorders due to injury, illness or the aging process. Some of the more common of these include:

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): There are several types of infections, all of which are caused by harmful bacteria caught in the urinary system.
Kidney or Bladder Stones: These are tiny clumps of calcium or uric acid that can get obstructed in the urethra.
Prostate Enlargement (BPH): Also known as benign prostatic hyerplasia (BPH), prostate enlargement can lead to partial blockage of the urinary system.

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Last Reviewed: Mar 02, 2007

Martin I Resnick, MD
Former Professor and Chair
Department of Urology
University Hospitals
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University

Urinary Disorders