Your

urinary tract

is an important part of your body. It acts like a drainage system by
filtering waste and extra fluids from your blood and removing them when you
urinate.

The urinary tract includes your kidneys, ureters (the tubes connecting the
kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube that carries
urine out of your body). All these parts need to work together for the
urinary tract to function properly. When something goes wrong, it can make
urination difficult or painful.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common urological issues.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections

(UTIs) are one of the most common urological conditions. If you have a UTI,
you might experience:

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation while urinating
• Having to urinate often but only passing small amounts
• Cloudy, pink, or red urine
• Urine that has a strong odor
• Pelvic pain

While UTIs can be painful, they usually aren’t serious. A

urine culture test

can confirm whether you have a UTI and help determine the best antibiotic to
treat it. Over-the-counter pain medications may be used to help relieve
symptoms.

Drinking plenty of water and drinks with electrolytes can also help with
recovery

because it flushes bacteria out of the urinary tract.

Kidney stones

If your urine doesn’t contain enough water, the minerals that are normally
dissolved in it can form little crystals that can grow into

kidney stones.

Kidney stones are usually small enough to pass through your urinary tract
without you noticing. But if a stone gets stuck, it can cause severe pain,
bloody urine, and even blocked urine flow. Other symptoms include nausea,
vomiting, and an urgent need to urinate.

To diagnose kidney stones, doctors generally order a CT scan or ultrasound.
Treatment options include letting the stones pass naturally, using sound
waves to break them up, or removing them with medical procedures.

Overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a term used to describe a

combination of symptoms

that can stem from many urological conditions. OAB symptoms include a
sudden, strong urge to urinate, often leading to urine leakage. You may also
find yourself needing to urinate frequently throughout the day and night.

To identify the cause of your OAB, your doctor may ask you to keep a diary
of your fluid intake and bathroom habits. They may also test your urine for
blood and use a bladder scan to see how much urine remains in your bladder
after you urinate.

Treatment for OAB can include medication, Botox injections for the bladder,
nerve stimulation, or surgery.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is when you can’t control your bladder. It affects one
fourth to one third of all Americans,

most of them women.

There are

several different types of incontinence:

• Stress incontinence involves leaking urine when you cough,
sneeze, laugh, or exercise.

• Urge incontinence involves a sudden, intense urge to
urinate without enough time to get to the bathroom.

• Overflow incontinence is the inability to fully empty your
bladder, causing it to overflow and leak.

• Functional incontinence occurs when a physical or mental
condition prevents you from being able to reach the bathroom in time.

• Mixed incontinence means you have more than one type of
incontinence, usually a combination of stress and urge incontinence.

Depending on which type of incontinence you have, treatment options can
include exercises to strengthen bladder muscles, adjusting fluid intake,
taking medications, or, in some cases, surgery.

Prostate problems

For those assigned male at birth, the following prostate issues can cause
urinary problems, especially in people in their 50s and older:

• Benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous
enlargement of the prostate that can make it difficult to start urinating,
cause a weak urine stream, and result in dribbling as you finish. Treatments
include medications and minimally invasive procedures that can help relieve
symptoms.

• Prostate cancer

occurs when cells in your prostate grow out of control. Getting diagnosed
involves a physical exam, imaging, blood tests, and biopsies. Treatment for
prostate cancer can include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery to
remove the prostate.