Urological Disorders

Urogenital Disorders

What does urogenital mean?

Urogenital is a word that refers to the urinary and genital organs.

Urology is the branch of medicine concerned with:

the urinary tract in both genders.
the genital tract or reproductive system in the male.

Other health professionals who treat urinary problems include primary care physicians, pediatricians, gynecologists, urogynecologists, and nephrologists.

What is the urinary tract?

The urinary tract or system includes the organ system primarily responsible for cleaning and filtering excess fluid and waste material from the blood:

kidneys
ureters
bladder
urethra

The kidneys also function as glands that produce hormones necessary for building red blood cells and regulating blood pressure.

What is the male urogenital system?

The male urogenital tract includes:

testes
efferent ducts
epidimymides
ejaculatory ducts
ductus deferens
ejaculatory duct
urethra
accessory glands:
- prostate
- seminal vesicles
- bulbourethral
penis

What causes problems in the urinary system?

Problems in the urinary system include kidney failure, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, prostate enlargement, and bladder control problems. These problems in the urinary system may be caused by:

aging
As we age, changes in the structure of the kidneys can cause them to lose some ability to remove wastes from the blood, and the muscles in the ureters, bladder, and urethra tend to lose some of their strength.

Urinary infections may occur because the bladder muscles do not tighten enough to empty the bladder completely. A decrease in strength of muscles of the sphincters and the pelvis can also cause incontinence, the unwanted leakage of urine.

illness/injury
Damage to the kidneys caused by illness or an injury can also prevent them from filtering the blood completely or block the passage of urine.

About urogenital diseases:
Diseases of the kidney and urinary tract remain a major cause of illness and death in the United States. The National Kidney Foundation says nearly 20 million Americans are affected by kidney and urologic diseases, and millions more are at risk.

Signs of kidney and/or urinary tract disease may include:

frequent headaches
feeling tired or itchy all over your body
burning or difficulty during urination
urinating more frequently, particularly at night
urinating less often
passage of bloody-appearing urine
loss of appetite
nausea and/or vomiting
puffiness around eyes, swelling of hands and feet
skin may darken
muscle cramps or pain in small of back just below the ribs (not aggravated by movement)
high blood pressure (hypertension)

This page was last updated on: February 28, 2008.

For more information, call the University Physicians Consultation and Referral Service at 1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).

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