What Does a Urologist Do?
What is a Urologist?
A urologist is a healthcare professional specializing in the urinary tract system of men, women, and children. They also treat conditions related to reproductive health, such as the inability to keep and maintain an erection. Your reproductive organs and the urinary tract are located close to each other and are thus linked to the urinary system. Your urinary tract includes the parts that are responsible for eliminating waste from your body. This includes your kidneys, bladder, urethra, and ureters. Here’s all you should know about a urologist in Navi Mumbai and their role.
What Conditions Do Urologists Treat?
In the ancient period, patients were recommended a urine test to determine the cause of the issue in the urinary tract. The treatment was planned based on these reports. Today, urology has become a different field of medicine, which comprises several testing procedures and treatment options. The main role of a urologist is to identify and treat conditions related to your urinary tract, including common and rare diseases. Here’s what they treat:
- Urinary incontinence (inability to hold pee or sudden urge to urinate)
- Enlarged prostate
- UTIs (urinary tract infection)
- Cloudy urine, blood in the urine, and pain during urination
- Erectile dysfunction
- Kidney stones
- Cancer of the urinary tract system (bladder cancer, kidney cancer, or cancer in any part of your urinary system)
Urologists may or may not practice surgeries, but they are all trained to perform surgeries as and when needed. Their area of specialization includes kidney transplantation, male infertility, oncology, pediatric urology, and so on.
Also Read: How Stones Are Formed In Kidney?
Diagnosis and Treatment Methods
Depending on your symptoms, the urologist might conduct a physical examination or recommend other tests to diagnose the underlying cause of the disease. Here are a few common tests a urologist recommends.
A) Physical Examination:
The urologist performs a physical examination, which might vary for men and women. For men, the urologist conducts a rectal exam, and for women, a pelvic test.
B) Urinalysis:
The doctor will collect your urine or semen sample to diagnose infections and other medical illnesses.
C) Imaging Tests:
Based on your symptoms, the doctor will order CT scans, ultrasound, or an MRI for a proper diagnosis. Cystoscopy is another common procedure that’s used to diagnose the enlarged prostate and other urology issues.
Treatment depends on the diagnosis. The urologist can perform nephrectomy (kidney removal), prostate biopsy, vasectomy, and so on.
Benefits of Seeing a Urologist
Visiting a urology hospital in Navi Mumbai can help you treat infections and other urinary tract issues before it advances. Certain conditions like frequent UTIs need proper treatment. The same goes for chronic health issues, like cancer of the urinary tract system or enlarged prostate.
Your doctor may not necessarily recommend an invasive procedure unless it’s a serious issue. Medication, physical therapies, and lifestyle changes are often enough to treat general urology issues.
Conclusion
If you notice any unusual symptoms related to your urinary tract system, see a urologist immediately. They will recommend the tests to diagnose the problem and recommend a suitable treatment based on your age, health condition, and goals.
End-stage Renal Disease
End-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, occurs when your kidneys fail to function and can no longer filter the blood normally. As a result, you might need a kidney transplant or dialysis from a kidney specialist in Navi Mumbai. Your kidneys are responsible for excreting the waste and fluid from your blood through urine. When they stop functioning, these waste particles and excess fluid build up in your blood.
The fifth stage of kidney disease is life-threatening and can result in loss of life if not addressed immediately. In addition to filtering blood, your kidneys are responsible for striking a perfect balance between salt, minerals, and water in your body. They create urine so that excess waste can be excreted.
Causes of End-Stage Renal Disease
Kidney disease can occur due to a number of health conditions, a sedentary lifestyle, and a poor diet. It can damage your kidneys at once or cause slow damage, which eventually develops into chronic kidney disease.
Here are the common causes of end-stage renal disease:
- Birth defects
- A history of severe urinary tract infections that occurred repeatedly
- Heart disease or hypertension
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Lupus and other autoimmune diseases
- Kidney stones
- Diabetes
Sometimes, chronic kidney diseases, like cancer, can cause kidney failure. Whatever the cause is, it’s important to see a urologist in Navi Mumbai immediately if you notice any or all of the below symptoms.
Symptoms of End-Stage Renal Disease
Unfortunately, kidney diseases don’t produce any serious symptoms initially. As the condition progresses and your kidney fails, you might notice the below symptoms.
- Excess fatigue and weakness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swollen ankles and feet
- Muscle cramps
- Itching
- Loss of appetite
- Unusual changes in urination
- High blood pressure
- Difficulty in concentration
- Chest pain and shortness of breath due to fluid buildup
Contact a urologist immediately if you notice these symptoms. These are often the signs that your kidney has stopped functioning, and you might need immediate treatment. However, these symptoms can also indicate other health problems, which aren’t as serious as end-stage renal disease. It’s best to consult a healthcare provider for a comprehensive diagnosis.
Treatment for End-Stage Renal Disease
A kidney transplant is a permanent solution to end-stage renal disease. In transplant surgery, the surgeon will replace the damaged kidney with the kidney of a living person or a deceased.
Everyone has two kidneys, and it’s totally possible to live with one. Before the transplant, the surgeon will conduct a few tests to ensure the donor’s kidney is a good match for you. After the transplant, you may have to take immune-suppressant medications to prevent your immune system from rejecting the new kidney, assuming it is a foreign object. Once the transplant is done successfully, your new kidney will start functioning like normal.
If you are considering dialysis, know that you will have to take dialysis treatment till the transplant surgery. Visit a dialysis center in Navi Mumbai to discuss the dialysis procedure, how frequently you need that, and which dialysis is best for your condition.
WHEN SHOULD I SEE A UROLOGIST?
A urologist in Navi Mumbai is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the urinary system. This system keeps the body clean by filtering out wastes and toxins and taking them out of the body. The urinary tract includes:
- Bladder.
- Kidneys.
- Ureters.
- Urethra.
A urologist in Juinagar, Navi Mumbai also treats conditions involving the reproductive organs and the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys. The reproductive systems of males and females are linked closely to their urinary systems.
A urologist is a medical doctor specializing in conditions that affect the urinary tract in men, women and children, and diseases that affect the reproductive system. These conditions range from peeing too much or too little to being unable to father a child.
A patient may be referred to a urologist for treatment of a range of conditions:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Incontinence
- Male infertility
- Kidney disease
- Renal transplantation
- Urologic oncology
- Bladder prolapses
- Cancers
- Enlarged prostate
- Erectile dysfunction
- Peyronie’s disease
- Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
- Kidney and ureteral stones
- Prostatitis
- Undescended testes, or cryptorchidism
- Urethral stricture.
- Paediatric Urology
What Can I Expect from a Urologist?
- The urologist will normally perform a range of tests to determine what the problem is. Imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, CT, MRI scan, can help the urologist to locate the problem and a urine test may be performed to check for bacteria and other signs of disease.
- If the situation is more serious, a biopsy may be performed; this is traditionally to check for cancer and other disorders. The urologist may also ask you questions about your medical history and carry out a physical examination.
- If you’re experiencing a frequent need to urinate pain in passing urine, difficulty in passing urine, blood in urine, pain in your lower back, or trouble sustaining an erection and early ejaculation. You should consult an expert. In order to maintain a healthy urinary tract, urologists recommend that you regularly empty your bladder and drink water instead of caffeine.
- They also stress the importance of avoiding smoking and maintaining a low-salt diet. By following these simple rules, you can prevent a wide range of urological problems. All tumors or cancer of the kidney, prostate, penis, urinary bladder, and testis are also treated by the urologist.
Conclusion
To prevent the diseases mentioned above, doctors advise staying hydrated and holding pee for long durations as it can severely affect your health. Maintaining hygiene while excreting and proper sanitization is a general rule of thumb.