Urological Health Resource Center
Health ConditionsUrological Health

Urological Health

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Urological health looks after the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and reproductive organs, known as the urogenital tract. People might experience urological health issues like kidney stones, damage, and disease, urinary tract infections (UTIs), incontinence, prostate cancer, and interstitial cystitis. Treatment varies significantly based on the specific condition and may involve lifestyle changes, medications (including hormone replacement therapy), nonsurgical procedures, and surgeries.

 Maintaining hydration, urinary hygiene, and a healthy weight, eating a proper diet, and getting enough exercise can support urological health.

FAQ

What are common urological problems?

Incontinence, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and interstitial cystitis are common urological problems, as are kidney stones, disease, and infections. Doctors also treat cancers of the bladder, prostate, kidneys, penis, and testicles as part of urological health.

Stay hydrated, apply good habits when using the bathroom, train your pelvic floor, and avoid ingredients that irritate the bladder, such as caffeine or intense spices. Quitting or avoiding smoking can reduce your risk of urological cancers.

UTIs can lead to frequent urination that burns, an increased need to urinate during the night, or cloudy or bloody urine. You might also feel belly pain, back pain just beneath the ribs, and a very high or low temperature.

Benign prostate enlargement is common in older men. Although it may cause alarm, it isn’t a type of cancer, won’t increase your risk of cancer, and doesn’t pose a serious threat to health. However, BPE can interfere with urination.

For small stones, a doctor may give medication to soothe pain or make kidney stones easier to pass. Larger stones may require procedures like extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, or nephrolithotomy.

Meet Our Experts In Urological Health
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
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Igor Kagan, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Igor Kagan, MD, is an an assistant clinical professor at UCLA. He spends the majority of his time seeing patients in various settings, such as outpatient clinics, inpatient rounds, and dialysis units. He is also the associate program director for the General Nephrology Fellowship and teaches medical students, residents, and fellows. His clinical interests include general nephrology, chronic kidney disease, dialysis (home and in-center), hypertension, and glomerulonephritis, among others. He is also interested in electronic medical record optimization and services as a physician informaticist.

A native of Los Angeles, he graduated cum laude from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) with a bachelor's in business and economics, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He then went to the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) for his medical school education. He stayed at USC for his training and completed his internship and internal medicine residency at the historic Los Angeles County and USC General Hospital. Following his internal medicine residency, Kagan went across town to UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine for his fellowship in nephrology and training at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center. After his fellowship he stayed on as faculty at UCLA Health.

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Allison Buttarazzi, MD

Allison Buttarazzi, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Allison Buttarazzi, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine, and is a certified health and well-being coach. In her primary care practice, Dr. Buttarazzi focuses on lifestyle medicine to help her patients improve their health and longevity, and her passion is helping patients prevent and reverse chronic diseases (like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes) by improving their lifestyle habits.

She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and completed a residency at Maine Medical Center. Diagnosed with celiac disease during medical school, she realized the power of improving one's health through diet and lifestyle habits, which she later incorporated into her practice.

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Andra Picincu, CN, CPT

Medical Reviewer
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Resources
  1. Urology Services and Treatments. Mayo Clinic Health System.
  2. 15 Tips to Keep Your Bladder Healthy. National Institute on Aging. January 24, 2022.

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