How often should you visit a urologist to avoid getting sick?

• Why do you need a urologist?
• Why do men go to the urologist?
• Why does a woman need to see a urologist?
• Why do pregnant women need a urologist?

Many people think that a urologist specializes exclusively in diseases of the male reproductive system, but in practice this is not at all true. Urologists treat both men and women, and of different ages. Since the genitourinary area in people is often associated with a feeling of shyness, many patients turn to such a doctor already in the later stages of the disease, when the treatment process turns out to be very difficult.

What does a urologist treat?

In addition to dividing into female and male, urology is classified by age categories. There is geriatric, aimed at treating older people, and pediatric urology. Therefore, the urologist must be knowledgeable in the fields of nephrology, andrology, gynecology and pediatrics. The main difference in methods of diagnosis and treatment of pathologies of the genitourinary organs is based on gender.

A urologist is a highly specialized specialist who studies, diagnoses, treats and prevents pathologies of the genitourinary and reproductive systems in women and men.

Urologist for men

Male urology (andrology) specializes in the study of development mechanisms, causes, and treatment of male pathologies. These include diseases of the scrotum, testicles, prostate, penis, kidneys, bladder, urethra and ureters.

The specialization of a male urologist includes the identification, treatment and prevention of the following diseases:

• Infertility;
• Difficulty, rare urination;
• Urinary incontinence;
• Male menopause (decay of sexual function);
• Painful sexual intercourse;
• Violation of potency;
• Curvature of the penis;
• Kidney failure;
• Sexually transmitted infections (STDs) – genital herpes, ureaplasmosis, chlamydia;
• Urolithiasis disease;
• Infectious, inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary organs (balanoposthitis, epididymitis, cystitis, adenoma, orchitis, urethritis, prostatitis);
• Oncopathology of the genitourinary system.

Urologist for women

Female urology (urogynecology) specializes in identifying and treating inflammatory pathologies of the external and internal genitalia, as well as the organs of the urinary system - the bladder, ureters, urethra, kidneys, adrenal glands. Such diseases include sexually transmitted pathologies, urethritis, cystitis, sexual disorders, tumor neoplasms, urinary incontinence, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, etc.

Urologist for children

The activities of a pediatric urologist are aimed at treating the reproductive organs in children under eighteen years of age. He also specializes in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of pathologies of the reproductive system, studying the anatomy, hormonal levels, physiology and psychophysiology of the developing organism.

X-ray

Such diagnostics of the urinary system may involve:

• Survey radiography. It allows you to cover a large part of the urinary tract, evaluate the structure of the kidney and detect stones.
• Retrograde ureteropyelography. During this procedure, the urinary tract is filled with a special substance. Filling occurs through the ureter via a catheter.
• Infusion urography. It makes it possible to obtain the clearest possible image of the renal collecting system.
• Antegrade pyeloureterography. In this case, contrast is administered using a percutaneous lumbar puncture. This diagnostic method is used in exceptional cases.

It is important to note that X-ray diagnostics are accompanied by irradiation of the patient’s body.

For this reason, such methods of urological examination in children are used extremely rarely, only in cases where it is impossible to make a diagnosis in any other way.

When to take your child to a urologist

Not only adults, but also children of different ages can encounter disorders in the genitourinary system. The most common pathologies in the field of pediatric urology include:

• Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder, which is accompanied by symptoms of varying severity: frequent urge, painful urination, cloudiness, darkening of urine, fever, pain in the lower abdomen. Due to the peculiarities of the location of the genital organs, this pathology is most often diagnosed in girls;
• Phimosis is a disease characterized by narrowing of the foreskin on the penis;
• Balanitis, balanoposthitis - inflammation of the foreskin, glans penis, which is manifested by itching, burning, redness, swelling, as well as the appearance of erosions and purulent discharge;
• Injuries to the genital organs;
• Cryptorchidism is an abnormality in the structure or location of the testicles.

The most pronounced manifestations of urological pathologies in boys include neoplasms and bulges in the scrotum area, changes in the shape and size of the testicles, painful, frequent urination, an open head of the penis in children after 3 years of age, narrowing of the foreskin, and an undescended testicle.

Reasons for contacting a urologist in girls include urinary disorders, lack of menstruation by the age of 15, menstrual irregularities, and the appearance of pathological vaginal discharge. A timely visit to the doctor, an appropriate examination, a competent diagnosis and developed therapeutic tactics will ensure the successful detection and treatment of any urological diseases.

Indications for examination

Men are extremely reluctant to solve intimate problems with the involvement of doctors, preferring to self-medicate, which is not only wrong, but also dangerous. It remains to be seen how often you need to visit a urologist. After a man turns 45 years old, preventive examinations in this area of ​​medicine should be annual.

A visit to the urology office is necessary in the following cases:

1. There is no mandatory examination, which requires a test for prostate-specific antigen.
2. Infertile marriage, when partners cannot conceive a child, although sexual intercourse takes place without protection.
3. Unprotected sex, which results in suspicion of infection of the genitourinary system. In this case, the urologist prescribes PCR tests.
4. If suspicious symptoms appear, including changes affecting the external genitalia.

In addition, urologists facilitate surgical interventions if necessary, urethroplasty, removal of stones from the urinary ducts, penile replacement, adenomectomy, cystoscopy with biopsy and other surgical procedures.

What symptoms should you see a doctor for?

Many diseases of the genitourinary system are accompanied by unpleasant signs indicating the need for professional help. Let's look at what symptoms you should consult a urologist for:

• Discharge from the urethra. The urethra is designed to remove urine and ejaculate; normally, this may also be a secretion produced by the urethral glands, but its quantity is so small that it is problematic to notice it. In other cases, we may be talking about the presence of diseases transmitted during intercourse, inflammation of the urethra or prostate as a result of hypothermia. Discharge may indicate complicated pathology of other organs.
• Cutting in the urethra, burning and itching. Sometimes similar phenomena can be observed in a completely healthy man, which is caused by synthetic underwear, the use of coated condoms and lubricants, and the consumption of spiced dishes. However, such symptoms, occurring regularly and increasing over time, indicate the presence of pathology.
• Complete absence of libido or its decrease.
• Pain in the testicles and perineum, near the anus and in the lumbar region. If there was no increased physical activity on the eve of the onset of symptoms, we can talk about urological problems.
• Impaired urination. It is evidenced by a weakening of the stream, the inability to relieve oneself at will, although it occurs pathologically often.
• Rashes and growths on the penis. These signs most often occur against the background of pathologies transmitted through sexual contact without barrier contraceptives.
• Erectile dysfunction. This can manifest itself as ordinary fatigue, stress and lack of sleep, or the problem lies in hormonal imbalance, diseases of the vascular and genitourinary systems, and internal organs.
• Asthenovegetative syndrome. With chronic prostatitis, general weakness, deterioration in performance, irritability, insomnia, increased sweating and increased heart rate often develop.
• Changed color of urine, presence of purulent and bloody inclusions in it or ejaculate.

Important. Any negative signs associated with the genitourinary system require consultation with a urologist, since only a specialist can accurately determine the source of the problem.

When does an adult need to consult a urologist?

The listed pathologies of the genitourinary organs, which are observed in children, are also relevant for adults. You should seek help from a urologist if the following disorders of the genitourinary system occur:

• Pain, pain when urinating;
• Feeling of fullness, incomplete emptying of the bladder;
• Urinary incontinence;
• The appearance of pathological impurities in the urine (mucus, pus, blood);
• Itching, burning in the genital area;
• Rare urination;
• Pain in the lower back, lower abdomen;
• Changing the shape of the penis;
• Redness, rashes, swelling in intimate places;
• Vomiting, nausea;
• Swelling of the face, limbs;
• Changes in consistency, shade, transparency of urine;
• Symptoms of prostatitis (to the above symptoms are added fever, excessive nervousness, thirst, general malaise, appetite disturbance, pain during ejaculation and in the anal area, erectile dysfunction).

Undiagnosed diseases of the genitourinary organs can become chronic or lead to serious complications. For timely diagnosis of pathologies, it is recommended to visit a urologist and perform an appropriate examination once a year.

Additional subjective examination methods

Palpation of the anterior abdominal wall and lumbar region is also performed; The boundaries of the left and right kidneys are determined. Percussion of the area where the kidneys are localized (Pasternatsky’s symptom) to determine possible pain, followed by urine assessment to exclude signs of hematuria (blood in the urine).

Diagnostics in urology can be supplemented by obtaining a smear from the urethral canal to evaluate the discharge for inflammatory inclusions and sexually transmitted infections.

Digital examination of the prostate is carried out in three possible positions of the patient. Before the procedure, the patient is asked to urinate and squeeze the external urethra. A digital examination allows one to evaluate the size, symmetry of the gland’s lobes, consistency, protrusion of the gland into the intestinal lumen, or organ atrophy. The examination result is supplemented by microscopy and analysis of prostatic secretions obtained after stimulation of the gland.

Leading urologists of our clinic named after. Fronstein guarantee a sensitive attitude towards the patient, a high professional level, timely and early diagnosis of genitourinary diseases in men.

How to prepare for an appointment with a urologist

Before going to see a urologist, the patient should prepare by following a number of recommendations. This will make the consultation more productive and make an accurate diagnosis. Before visiting a doctor, the patient must:

• Refrain from intimate relationships. During the study, the urologist may take smears or refer the patient for tests. Sexual intercourse on the eve of a consultation may complicate the collection of tests, which will increase the duration of the diagnostic process;
• Empty your bladder. You need to visit the toilet not before the visit itself, but several hours before. During this time, the optimal amount of urine necessary for carrying out some tests and examinations will be collected in the bladder;
• Empty your bowels. Bowel cleansing will be required in the case of a digital rectal examination (if prostate pathology is suspected);
• Maintain personal hygiene. Before visiting a doctor, you should perform genital hygiene. It is not recommended to use antiseptic and antibacterial solutions. This may affect laboratory diagnostic results. You should also wear clean underwear.

The doctor's questions must be answered honestly. The diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment will depend on the accuracy and reliability of the information received.

Lab tests

Almost never a study of the urinary system is complete without laboratory diagnostics. It usually includes:

• a general blood test (thanks to it, you can identify signs of an infectious process in the body at the earliest stages);
• biochemical blood test (with its help you can identify certain substances in the body and determine in what quantities they are present);
• general urine analysis (during this, a specialist evaluates the density of the biofluid, its shade, sediment, etc.).
• three-glass test (in urology, this urine test makes it possible to understand in which part there is an inflammatory process).

What tests a urologist prescribes for men largely depends on the complaints.

Almost always, the doctor checks the patient for the presence of infectious processes in the urinary organs. For this purpose, bacterioscopy, bacteriological culture, ELISA, and PCR are traditionally performed.

Using a microscopic examination, signs of inflammation in the urogenital tract can be detected in the patient’s biomaterial (this can be manifested by an excessive amount of mucus, the presence of red blood cells, epithelial cells, etc.). Also, thanks to this analysis, it is possible to diagnose trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and mycosis.

To perform a bacterioscopy, a smear is taken from the patient (usually from the urethra, anus, or less often from the oral cavity). It is worth noting that this diagnostic method is not the main one. It rather has an auxiliary function.

To make a correct diagnosis, a urologist can prescribe more modern and more accurate diagnostic methods.

A culture test is performed when it is necessary to detect bacterial, protozoal or fungal infections. Thus, it is possible to identify not only sexually transmitted diseases, but also other pathologies caused by the activity of nonspecific microorganisms. The essence of bacterial sowing is that doctors place biomaterial in nutrient media for several days, after which they identify colonies of microorganisms.

For bacterial culture, urine, prostate secretions, blood, etc. can be used. The advantages of bacterial culture include the fact that it makes it possible not only to identify the causative agent of the disease, but also to determine which antibiotics it is most sensitive to.

Unfortunately, diagnosing diseases of the urinary system in this way takes a lot of time, while prescribing medications is necessary as early as possible.

Immunodiagnostics allows you to detect antibodies produced to infection in a person’s blood. Also, with the help of this study, you can understand how active the disease is and how long ago it began to develop.

Urological tests for men may also involve PCR. The essence of PCR is to detect the causative agent of the disease in the biomaterial being studied. To perform PCR, a specialist can use a smear, urine, prostate juice, and also blood. This is one of the most modern diagnostic methods that is distinguished by accuracy and is suitable for diagnosing almost any infectious disease.

It is important to note that the research results will be accurate only if the man undergoes special preliminary preparation. In each case it will be different. In general, the urologist himself usually talks about how tests are taken by a urologist at the appointment.