When it comes to the urinary system, there are many diseases and disorders that require clinical care by a physician. Disorders of the urinary system range in severity from easy to treat to life threatening. For information about some of the most common urinary system diseases, read on.
The most common diseases of the urinary system
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer occurs in people when cancerous cells grow in the bladder. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2008, approximately 69,000 cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in the US. Bladder cancer affects men more than it affects women and it occurs twice as often as in African Americans as compared to in Caucasians.
Cystocele
Cystocele is the name for a hernia-like disorder in women that occurs when the wall between the bladder and the vagina weakens. This causes the bladder to drop or sag into the vagina. Cystocele causes a lot of discomfort, urine leakage and incomplete emptying of the bladder.
Hematuria
Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in urine. Often, the urine appears normal to the naked eye but upon examination under a microscope, the urine can show a relatively high number of RBCs. In gross hematuria, the urine is red or the color of cola.
Impotence / Erectile Dysfunction
Impotence or erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve an erection. It occurs in millions of men all around the world.
Interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis or IC is a complex, chronic disorder characterized by an inflamed or irritated bladder wall. It can often lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder, decreased bladder capacity, and glomerulations or pinpoint. It is also often known as painful bladder syndrome or frequency-urgency-dysuria syndrome.
Neurogenic bladder
For the proper functioning of the urinary system, nerves carry messages from the bladder to the brain and from the brain to the muscles of the bladder telling them to either tighten or release control. In a neurogenic bladder, the nerves that are supposed to carry these messages do not work properly.
Peyronie’s disease
Peyronie’s disease is characterized by a plaque or hard lump that forms on the erection tissue of the penis. This urinary system disease was first described in 1743 by a French surgeon, François de la Peyronie. It was then classified as a form of impotence.