Medical doctors known as "urology specialize" in identifying and treating issues affecting the male reproductive system and urinary tract. Many assume that urologists only care for the urinary tract (the bladder, ureters, and prostate gland). However, this assumption is incorrect.
The quick answer is that urologists care for kidneys, but only in a restricted capacity. This article will discuss the problems often treated by urologists and the connection between urology and kidney health.
Urology is the medical subspecialty concerned with male and female reproductive health and urinary tract disorders. In addition to treating common urological problems like UTIs and kidney stones, urologists may help with more complex issues like prostate cancer and impotence.
In theory, urologists should be able to spot and treat kidney problems, but in practice, they seldom do. The kidneys, the bladder, ureters, and urethra, make up the urinary tract. Urologists are medical specialists who treat diseases involving the urine system above the kidneys. This includes the urinary bladder and urethra.
Is There Anything Urologists Can Do About My Kidneys? Kidney stones and UTIs aren't the only things urologists treat, but they're two of the most common (UTIs).
Solid crystals may develop in the kidneys, known as kidney stones. While passing through the urinary system, they may cause excruciating discomfort and can lead to infections and kidney damage. Urologists often treat kidney stones, especially those that are very big or cause difficulties. Medication to facilitate stone passage, minimally invasive methods to remove stones, and surgery are all viable choices for treatment.
UTIs, or urinary tract infections, may manifest in the kidneys or elsewhere along the urinary system. Symptoms include pain, burning, and frequent urination, brought on by germs entering the urinary system. A urologist may be called in to help if a UTI is persistent or problematic. Antibiotics, urinary catheterization, and even surgery are possible treatments.
Certain kidney malignancies, such as renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma, may also need the expertise of a urologist for diagnosis and treatment.
You may need to visit a urologist if you suffer kidney-related symptoms, including discomfort, blood in your urine, or a change in how often you urinate. However, your primary care doctor may be able to detect and treat kidney-related illnesses in many circumstances.
Your primary care physician may recommend seeing a urologist for additional assessment and treatment if you have been diagnosed with kidney stones, a UTI, or kidney-related malignancies.You may also want to visit a urologist for frequent checkups and monitoring if you have a history of kidney disease or a family history of renal disease.
Urologists are trained to treat not just urinary tract infections (UTIs) but also kidney stones, cancer, and other illnesses unrelated to the urinary tract. Let's say you've been diagnosed with a disease that affects your kidneys or has kidney-related symptoms. If your primary care physician thinks you may benefit from seeing a urologist for additional testing and treatment, they may recommend that.