Urinary System
Learn about your urinary system health
Many people will have some kind of urinary problem or injury in their lifetime. Urinary problems can range from minor to serious. And sometimes these problems can start with the same symptoms. For example, pain during urination can be a symptom of both kidney stones and urinary tract infections. So it can be hard to tell which one is causing the problem.
But you can be prepared. Some common urinary problems may need only home treatment. But other more serious problems may need a doctor's care. Knowing the symptoms of urinary problems and your treatment options can help you take the best care of yourself. Our topics can help you learn more about your symptoms and care options.
Browse these topics to start learning more about your urinary system health:
Health Topics
- Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger
- Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older
- Absorbent Products for Urinary Incontinence
- Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
- Acute Prostatitis (NIH Category I)
- Acute Renal Failure
- Acute Renal Failure Versus Chronic Kidney Disease
- American Urological Association Symptom Index
- Anatomical Incontinence in Women
- Artificial Sphincter for Urinary Incontinence in Men
- Aspirin
- Basic Metabolic Panel
- Bed-Wetting
- Behavioral Methods for Urinary Incontinence
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
- Beta-Sitosterol Plant Extract
- Bladder Cancer
- Bladder Exercises for Bed-Wetting
- Care for an Indwelling Urinary Catheter
- Catheters for Urinary Incontinence in Men
- Central Venous Catheter: Changing the Dressing
- Central Venous Catheter: Flushing
- Central Venous Catheters
- Chlamydia
- Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis (NIH Category II)
- Chronic Female Pelvic Pain
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Chronic Kidney Disease: Immunizations You Need
- Chronic Prostatitis/Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Inflammatory (NIH Category IIIA)
- Chronic Prostatitis/Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Noninflammatory (NIH Category IIIB)
- Circumcision
- Cleaning Your Young Son's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Complicated Urinary Tract Infections
- Complications of Enlarged Prostate
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Infections
- Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer
- Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer
- Daytime Accidental Wetting (Diurnal Enuresis)
- Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Diabetic Nephropathy
- Diabetic Neuropathy: Treatment for Urinary Problems
- Dialysis: Measuring How Well It Works
- Disposable Underpants for Bed-Wetting
- Diuretics and Potassium Supplements
- Donating a Kidney
- Drinking Enough Water
- Dry-Bed Training for Bed-Wetting
- E. Coli Infection From Food or Water: Blood and Kidney Problems
- Electrical Stimulation for Urinary Incontinence
- Electrolyte Panel
- Enlarged Prostate: Bathroom Tips
- Enlarged Prostate: Herbal Therapy
- Enlarged Prostate: Laser Therapies
- Enlarged Prostate: Other Surgeries
- Enlarged Prostate: Transurethral Needle Ablation
- Enlarged Prostate: Uroflowmetry Test
- Exposure to Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) for Kidney Stones
- Foods High in Oxalate
- Functional Incontinence
- Functional Incontinence: Timed Voiding and Prompted Voiding
- Fungal Infections: Risks of Oral Antifungals
- Genital Injuries: Urinary Problems
- Getting Enough Potassium
- Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
- Gonorrhea
- Hemodialysis
- Hemodialysis Compared to Peritoneal Dialysis
- Home Test for Protein in Urine
- Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer (Androgen Deprivation Therapy, or ADT)
- How to Use a Male Condom
- Hypospadias
- Infected Prostate Stones
- Interactive Tool: How Bad Are Your Urinary Symptoms From Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?
- Interactive Tools
- Intermittent Catheterization for Men
- Intermittent Catheterization for Women
- Interstitial Cystitis (Painful Bladder Syndrome)
- Intrinsic Acute Renal Failure
- Kegel Exercises
- Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
- Kidney Disease: Iron Therapy
- Kidney Disease: Medicines to Avoid
- Kidney Function
- Kidney Stones
- Kidney Stones: Medicines That Increase Your Risk
- Kidney Transplant
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Living Organ Donation
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Male Genital Problems and Injuries
- Mechanical Devices for Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Medical Causes of Bed-Wetting
- Medicines That Can Cause Acute Renal Failure
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
- Moisture Alarms for Bed-Wetting
- Motivational Therapy for Bed-Wetting
- Multiple Sclerosis: Bladder Problems
- Nephrectomy
- Nephrotic Syndrome
- Nephrotic Syndrome: Eating a Low-Fat Diet
- Nephrotic Syndrome: Skin Care Tips
- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- Open Prostatectomy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- Open Surgery for Kidney Stones
- Orchiectomy for Prostate Cancer
- Organ Transplant
- Organ Transplants: Antirejection Medicines
- Overactive Bladder
- Overflow Incontinence
- Parathyroid Gland and Kidney Stones
- Pelvic Floor (Kegel) Exercises for Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Tubo-Ovarian Abscess
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or Nephrolithotripsy for Kidney Stones
- Peritoneal Dialysis
- Planning to Be an Organ Donor
- Postoperative Problems
- Postrenal Acute Renal Failure
- Post-Void Residual Urine Test
- Preeclampsia: Creatinine Clearance Test
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Prerenal Acute Renal Failure
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Cancer, Advanced or Metastatic
- Prostatitis
- Prostatitis: Pre- and Post-Massage Test
- Radiation therapy for bladder cancer
- Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Radical Prostatectomy
- Recurrent Abdominal Pain (RAP)
- Repair of Bladder Prolapse (Cystocele) or Urethra Prolapse (urethrocele)
- Restless Legs Syndrome: What Conditions Can Cause It?
- Retropubic Suspension for Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Saw Palmetto
- Self-Awakening for Bed-Wetting
- Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Genital Exam for Men
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Symptoms in Women
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Treatment
- Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
- Stress Incontinence in Men
- Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Surgery for Chronic Pelvic Pain
- Syphilis
- Tension-Free Vaginal Tape for Stress Incontinence in Women
- Total Incontinence
- Transurethral Incision of the Prostate (TUIP) for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- Transurethral Microwave Therapy (TUMT) for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- Transurethral Prostatectomy for Prostatitis
- Transurethral Resection (TUR) for Bladder Cancer
- Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- Trichomoniasis
- Types of Kidney Stones
- Uremia
- Ureteroscopy
- Urethral Bulking for Urinary Incontinence
- Urethral Sling for Stress Incontinence in Women
- Urge Incontinence in Men
- Urinary Incontinence in Men
- Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Urinary Incontinence: Keeping a Daily Record
- Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 12 and Older
- Urinary Problems and Prostate Cancer
- Urinary Problems During Pregnancy
- Urinary Tract Infection: Antibiotics to Prevent Recurrence
- Urinary Tract Infection: Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Older Adults
- Urinary Tract Infections in Children
- Urinary Tract Infections in Teens and Adults
- Urostomy Care
- Using Antibiotics Wisely
- Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
Medical Tests
- Abdominal Ultrasound
- Abdominal X-Ray
- Angiogram
- Blood Urea Nitrogen
- Calcium (Ca) in Urine
- Carbon Dioxide (Bicarbonate)
- Chemistry Screen
- Chlamydia Tests
- Chloride (Cl)
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
- Cystometry
- Cystoscopy
- Cystourethrogram
- Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
- Home Test for Urinary Tract Infections
- Homocysteine
- Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
- Kidney Biopsy
- Kidney Scan
- Kidney Stone Analysis
- Laparoscopy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Abdomen
- Microalbumin Urine Test
- Pelvic Examination
- Pelvic Ultrasound
- Phosphate in Blood
- Phosphate in Urine
- Potassium (K) in Blood
- Potassium (K) in Urine
- Prostate Biopsy
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
- Sodium (Na) in Blood
- Sodium (Na) in Urine
- Syphilis Tests
- Total Serum Protein
- Uric Acid in Blood
- Uric Acid in Urine
- Urine Culture
- Urine Test
Medications
- 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors for Prostatitis
- Allopurinol for Kidney Stones
- Alpha-Blocker Medicines for Prostatitis
- Alpha-Blockers for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
- Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors for Heart Failure
- Antiandrogens for Prostate Cancer
- Antibiotics for Chlamydia
- Antibiotics for Gonorrhea
- Antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
- Antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections in Children
- Anticholinergics for Urinary Incontinence in Men
- Anticholinergics for Urinary Incontinence in Spinal Cord Injuries
- Anticholinergics for Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Antidepressants for Urinary Incontinence
- Antiprotozoals for Trichomoniasis
- Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for Bladder Cancer
- Benzodiazepines for Prostatitis
- Captopril for Kidney Stones
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Corticosteroids for Nephrotic Syndrome
- Cyclophosphamide
- Desmopressin for Bed-Wetting
- Doxorubicin
- Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents
- Gemcitabine
- LH-RH Agonists/GnRH Agonists for Prostate Cancer
- Methotrexate
- Mitomycin
- Muscle Relaxants for Prostatitis
- Orthophosphate for Kidney Stones
- Oxybutynin for Daytime Wetting and Bed-Wetting
- Paclitaxel
- Penicillamine for Kidney Stones
- Phenazopyridine for Urinary Symptoms
- Potassium Citrate for Kidney Stones
- Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) for Kidney Stones
- Thiazides for Kidney Stones
- Tiopronin for Kidney Stones
- Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) for Bed-Wetting
- Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain
- Urease Inhibitors for Kidney Stones
- Vinorelbine
Make a Wise Decision
- Bed-Wetting: Should I Do Something About My Child's Bed-Wetting?
- Bed-Wetting: Should My Child See a Doctor?
- Circumcision: Should I Keep My Son's Penis Natural?
- End-of-Life Care: Should I Stop Kidney Dialysis?
- Enlarged Prostate: Should I Have Surgery?
- Enlarged Prostate: Should I Take Medicine?
- Kidney Failure: What Type of Dialysis Should I Have?
- Kidney Failure: When Should I Start Dialysis?
- Kidney Stones: Should I Have Lithotripsy to Break Up the Stone?
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Should I Have Surgery?
- Prostate Cancer Screening: Should I Have a PSA Test?
- Prostate Cancer: Should I Have Radiation or Surgery for Localized Prostate Cancer?
- Stress Incontinence: Should I Have Surgery?
Last Revised: October 11, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
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