Other Bladder Conditions

Bladder stone

Bladder stones are characterized by the hard crystallization of chemicals that naturally occur in urine. Smaller stones can sometimes be flushed out of the body through urination, but larger stones can eventually lead to blockage of the passageway from the bladder to the urethra.

BPH

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH, is the enlargement of the prostate gland in men, often as a result of aging. Usually, though, men won’t experience any symptoms of BPH until their late 50’s. By this time, the prostate may begin to restrict the urethra, resulting in a more frequent need to urinate. Left untreated, it can lead to the inability to urinate, or urinary retention.

Urethral structure

Urethral stricture is marked by a narrowing of the urethra, the tube that releases the urine stored in the bladder. There are several different causes of urethral structure, such as complication of surgery or injury that results in inflammation or scarring of the urethra. The insertion of a catheter can also cause urethral strictures.

Cystocele

Cystocele is a condition that occurs in women when the wall between a woman’s bladder and her vagina is damaged, either by the stretching of the pelvic floor during childbirth or the natural weakening of the pelvic muscles. Also known also as a prolapsed bladder, it can lead to the protrusion of the bladder base through the vagina. It has also been associated with chronic constipation, obesity, and smoking.

Prostatitis

Acute Prostatitis – Acute Prostatitis is a sudden inflammation of the prostate gland and is often caused by a bacterial infection. The most common types of bacteria implicated in Acute Prostatitis are often the same ones that cause urinary tract infections.
Chronic Prostatitis – Chronic Prostatitis develops more gradually than its acute counterpart with periods of severe flare up. There are two types of Chronic Prostatitis: bacterial and non-bacterial. Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection and is most often associated with recurrent urinary tract infections. The cause of Chronic Non-Bacterial Prostatitis is unclear, though it is thought that it may be a result of a physiological dysfunction of the lower urinary system..Acute Prostatitis can also lead to both types of Chronic Prostatitis. It occurs most frequently in men over 30, with nearly a third of all men over 50 diagnosed with the condition annually.

Orchitis and Epididymitis

Orchitis and Epididymitis involve inflammation of the testicles or the Epididymis and can be very painful. Both are caused by a type of bacterial infection. In younger Men who are sexually active, Orchitis and Epididymitis are considered to be a form of sexually transmitted infection. In older men, however, the condition occurs as a result of the presence of BHP, Bacterial Prostatitis or a common urinary tract infection. Symptoms include testicular and scrotal pain and swelling, fever and chills and occasionally a burning feeling during urination as well as urinary urgency and frequency. If left untreated, it can lead to the formation of an abscess in the scrotum requiring surgical drainage.