The ureters, bladder and urethra make up the urinary system. There are two purplish-brown organs that are located below the ribs and toward the middle of the back, which are known as the kidneys. These kidneys take away the water and the waste from the blood and expel it from the body as urine. This helps to keep an ongoing balance of substances, such as salt, in the blood. Red blood cells are stimulated by the hormone, erythropoietin, which is manufactured by the kidneys. The ureters, which are tubes, help the urine to be carried from the kidneys to the bladder.
The bladder is a muscular holding tank, so to speak, that is triangular. The bladder is located in the lower abdomen. The muscular walls of the bladder contract and expand to hold the body’s urine and contract and lie flat when urine is expelled through the urethra. The average adult bladder can hold approximately a cup and a half of urine.
Most adults urinate several times a day averaging a quart and a half of urine. This amount of urinary output can change depending on how heavy an eater and drinker that the person is.
Salts, waste products, and fluids are found in the urinary system. Output of urine should be sterile and without bacteria. The bladder contains tissues that are separated from toxic substances and urine. This tissue coats the wall of the bladder and makes it very difficult from bacteria to invade and grow on the inside of the bladder.
The urinary system in men sometimes will cause a problem known as BPH, or benign prostatic hypertrophy. This problem affects their prostate gland, which is situated in the front of the rectal area and is just below their bladder. In the shape of a walnut, this gland is very small in size, weighing about an ounce. This gland envelops the urethra and consists of muscle and gland tissue. It is the semen-producing gland and delivers the semen into the urethra.
It is not uncommon for men over the age of 60 to have BPH, affecting probably around 50% of men in that age group. The probability of having BPH only becomes greater with age. However, only half of these men will go on to have symptoms of BPH. This condition usually does not affect sexual lifestyle and is not related to cancer.
When BPH does cause a urinary problem a man will notice symptoms, such as a decreased urine flow, frequency, a feeling of incompletion of the bladder being emptied, nighttime frequency and difficulty controlling the start and stop actions of the urine flow. A UTI, or urinary tract infection, will cause other symptoms, such as pain and burning of urination.
Regular health check-ups are highly recommended by your health care provider and additional visits should be made to your doctor at the first sign of any unusual changes in your health including your urinary system. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms you should see your primary care physician to evaluate for BPH or other urinary health issues.
Resources:
Women’s Health: Urinary Health for Men
http://womenshealth.gov/mens-health/urinary-health-for-men/
University of Maryland Medical Center: Urinary Incontinence
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/003142.htm
MayoClinic: Urinary Tract Infection
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-tract-infection/DS00286
National Association of continence: Men’s Health
http://www.nafc.org/bladder-bowel-health/men-s-health/
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases and Information Clearinghouse: Your Urinary System and How it Works
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yoururinary/
Wexner Medical Center: Anatomy of the Urinary System
New York Presbyterian: Urinary System Diseases
http://nyp.org/health/urology-diseases.html
American Medical Association: Urinary System
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