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| Male
Bladder Problems:
Practicing Good Bladder Health Just Makes Good Sense |
The
male bladder sits just above the prostate gland in front of the
rectum on the pelvic floor. It is part of the male urinary system and
plays a key role in the storage of urine. Urine is produced in the
kidneys; the kidneys cleanse the blood of waste, excess water and other
impurities and turn it into urine. The urine is sent to the bladder for
storage via two ureter tubes that connects each kidney to the bladder.
The bladder will act as a holding tank for the urine; once the bladder
is full it will signal the brain through a nerve that it is at
capacity; the brain in return will send a nerve signal back to the
bladder--the detrusor muscle in particular to empty itself of all
content or urine. The detrusor muscle will squeeze spastically to
remove all of its content, and the urine will flow from the bladder
through the urethra that extends through the male sexual organ and out
the body. This is ordinarily a smooth operation that works efficiently
and effectively throughout a man’s lifetime.
However, the male urinary system is always under the threat of
bacterial attacks that seek to gain entrance through the lower urinary
tract (LUT) or any other way it can. Urinary
tract infections
can wreck
havoc on the male urinary system. Bacteria can form colonies that when
left unchecked can literally destroy the urinary system and ultimately
could prove fatal. Bacterium like Escherichia coli or e coli is
responsible for over 80% of all bacterial infections found in the male
urinary tract. In most cases Escherichia coli or e coli can be treated
with antibiotics if caught in time; however, if the bacterium is left
untreated for a substantial amount of time it could do irreversible
damage to individual organs as well as the entire urinary system.
Timely treatments play a very important role in eliminating Escherichia
coli or e coli before it does wide spread damage.
The kidneys along
with
the ureter tubes make up the upper tract of the
male urinary system. It is quite common for bacteria infections to gain
entrance through the urethra and attack the prostate as well as the
urethra and travel up to the bladder. The bladder is also capable of
becoming infected by the urine that is sent down by the kidneys through
the ureter tubes. The waste that the kidneys turn into urine is often
contaminated with bacteria; this bacteria in turn is sent to the
bladder via the ureter tubes. The bladder can become a holding station
for not only urine but bacteria as well.
The prostate
can become
infected by STDs or sexually
transmitted diseases as well as e coli; when that happens the prostate
can become enlarged and/or inflamed (prostatitis);
preventing the urine
from exiting the body via the urethra. The urethra runs from the
bladder through the prostate gland and through the male sexual organ;
it is the passage way that the urine travels as it exit the body. But
when it is blocked for one reason or another the urine cannot exit the
bladder and must remain there until it can. Stagnant urine is an ideal
breeding place for bacteria; hence, the bladder becomes infected due to
prostatitis or an inflamed prostate that has blocked the passage of
urine through the urethra.
When the bladder becomes infected it does not operate smoothly
(overactive bladder); it can become dysfunctional in a number of ways.
Unable to rid itself of urine properly; urine begins to leak out of the
bladder. This is a type of urinary incontinence in males is known as
“overflow” incontinence; the leakage can be light
or extremely heavy resulting in embarrassment and humiliation when it
occurs in public or social gatherings. A urinary tract infection in the
bladder can cause the detrusor muscle (located inside the walls of the
bladder) to begin squeezing violently in an attempt to rid the bladder
of its content, this type of activity can result in heavy leakage when
the bladder is unable to flush itself or send the urine out in its
normal way.
When the urethra is unblocked and the bladder is infected it can create
a type of incontinence called “urge”
incontinence
or “urgency” incontinence. This occurs when the
bladder’s destrusor muscle begin squeezing without receiving
a nerve signal from the brain to relieve itself. When the bladder is
infected it is not uncommon for the detrusor muscle to behave
erratically and force the individual to rush to the bathroom to relieve
himself without any warning…and in most cases he will never
make it. This type of incontinence is rare in women but very common in
men who experience urinary incontinence.
When the bladder becomes infected it is referred to as cystitis or
inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis can usually be treated with
antibiotics as well as behavior modifications when it is treated in a
timely manner; however, it is possible for bladder infections left
untreated for long periods of time to turn into something much
worse---bladder cancer.
In closing, remember a bladder problem for the most part can be
successfully treated and often cured if it is caught before widespread
and irreversible damaged is done. That’s why it is so
important to contact your primary care giver and/or urologist before
the problem turns into something that is far worse and potentially
lethal. |
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