Dr. Rajanna Sreedhara

If you are experiencing pain in urination along with a burning sensation, a health condition known as dysuria is indicated. This condition is usually common in women and men alike. However, older men are more prone to face this problem. Pain during urination may occur because of various reasons. The most common causes are as follows:
Infections

1. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of painful urination. Infections may occur in any part of your urinary tract, such as in the kidneys, bladder, and the ureters. These infections occur due to bacteria, which gets into the urinary tract via the urethra. There are several factors, which increase your chances of being affected by UTI. They include diabetes, an enlarged prostate, old age, pregnancy, and kidney stones. UTI is signified by other symptoms such as fever, bloody urines, flank pain, stronger smelling urine, and an increased urge for urination.
2. At times, painful urination may also be associated with vaginal infections in women, like yeast infection. Vaginal discharge and foul odor are indicated in the case of vaginal infections.
3. Painful urination is also caused because of certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea, genital herpes and Chlamydia.

Inflammation and irritation
There are several problems, which can cause inflammation of your urinary tract and genital region. This further results in painful urination. Inflammation and irritations also occur because of other factors such as urinary tract stones, vaginal changes associated with menopause, certain physical activities and the side effects of several medicines, treatment procedures and health supplements.

Consulting a doctor for painful urination
Your doctor will suggest you to undertake certain laboratory tests for the proper diagnosis of the cause of your painful urination. After this, a suitable treatment method is sought and undertaken. Before this, an overall physical examination is also carried out. Your doctor is likely to ask you some important questions regarding your painful irritation, how the condition worsens, and is felt during the onset of urination. It is also likely for your doctor to know about any other symptoms, which you might be experiencing such as fever, flank pain and vaginal discharge. You must tell your doctor about any changes observed in your urine flow, such as difficulty in initiating flow, an increased urge to urinate, and dribbling.

Apart from these, your doctor may also ask whether you experienced any character in urine after painful urination. These may include colour, amount, cloudiness, presence of pus in the urine and so on. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

Kidney stones could be a cause for worry by the time they are not removed causing incessant and regular pains and disrupting normal life. The task is not finished even if you get them removed because what follows is a rigorous and disciplined routine that you must follow to maintain your health after the surgery is done. Diet plays a crucial role in negating the possibility of yet another stone accumulation. Here are a few diet tips that would be handy if you have got a kidney stones removal surgery done. 
 
Do's

1. To stay hydrated is the golden rule that you must abide by at all costs. It is advisable to drink at least 2-3 litres of water on a daily basis. Water prevents the formation of stones and would also help to eliminate any remaining residues of kidney stones existing in the system.
2. Dairy products could be included but in diluted form. 
3. A fixed dietary routine is mandatory above all. The patient should be given meals at proper time intervals in small proportions. Heavy meals should be avoided at all costs. 
4. Foods rich in high fibre should be included in the diet. They help in bowel movement also. These include whole grain breads and beans. 

Don'ts
 1. Foods rich in oxalates and calcium should be kept at bay for at least a period of two months after the stone removal procedure is complete. Oxalates can lead to the formation of yet another stone which is far from desirable. The foods that fall in this category include:

• Green leafy vegetables like spinach, mustard and beet greens
• Cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes
• Banana, mango, apricot, grapes
• Nuts like almond and cashew
• Alcohol
• Soft drinks
• Soda
• Caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee 

2. Foods rich in sodium should be kept at bay for at least some time immediately after the surgery. 
 
3. Reducing the food intake that is high on animal protein. 
 
4. Do not eat stale food. 

5. Junk food should not even cross your mind. It is something which should be avoided for best results. 
 
These are generic guidelines that would help you to cope with post surgery care. However, there could be specific requirements depending from patient to patient. Therefore, it is advisable to get the guidelines by a doctor who will take into account the specificities of the case. Diet along with exercise is in most cases, the most effective combat to kidney stones. The trick however, is to not go overboard with either of them.

Urinary incontinence is a health condition in men, which causes loss of bladder control. Urinary incontinence usually occurs in cases of medical conditions such as an enlarged prostate, Parkinson's disease and diabetes, and may also occur after a prostate surgery. Urinary incontinence is an irritating and embarrassing condition, but with proper treatment, it can be cured.

Here are several methods used to treat urinary incontinence:

1. Caffeine, soda and carbonated drinks cause irritation in the bladder and worsen the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Alcohol is a diuretic and increases the amount of urine too. So abstain from coffee, alcohol and soft drinks to make a difference.
2. Dietary adjustments are required for the treatment of urinary incontinence. Several spicy and acidic food items can make urinary incontinence worse. Hence, you should avoid having such foods for some time.
3. Urinary incontinence can lead to stress and you must get rid of it for better health. You can try relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises. Biofeedback is another option by which you can observe your bladder muscle contractions on a monitor.
4. You should try a behavioral technique known as bladder training. This would require you to urinate every half hour, in spite of not having the urge. Slowly try to increase the time in between the bathroom breaks.
5. You need to flex your muscles to gain control over urinary incontinence. Kegel exercises can be practiced as these boost the strength of your pelvic muscles. You should find the right muscles that are required to stop the passing of gas.
6. Pads and disposable undergarments can be used by men. These help in preventing leaks and also protect the skin from irritation and odor.
7. There are several medicines, which help in the treatment of urinary incontinence in men. Some of these work to relax muscles for preventing unwanted bladder contractions, while others help in blocking the nerve signals to the bladder. Drugs used for the shrinking of an enlarged prostate may also be used in some cases.

Surgery is the ultimate option for the treatment of urinary incontinence. Options include a male sling for urinary incontinence. A type of material is wrapped around the urethra for compressing it. Leaks because of coughing, sneezing or laughing are prevented. Artificial sphincter implants may also be used for treatment of urinary incontinence. A cuff is used in order to close the urethra. Urine is released by squeezing the pump to open the cuff. A device similar to a pacemaker is used to stimulate nerves, which help in relaxing the bladder and pelvic floor.

Urinary incontinence is a condition which causes reduced self confidence in men. But there are several ways to treat this condition which include home remedies as well as medications and surgery.

The pair of kidneys that human beings have, forms an important part in the excretory system. They perform specific and important functions. They excrete urine as well as help in eliminating the toxins, which accumulate in the body. Kidney stones occur when the minerals present in the urine without being discharged, keep on accumulating. This gives rise to an extremely painful and uncomfortable situation. Though sometimes the situation gets revoked all by itself, many-a-times it requires medical intervention. 

Some of the symptoms of kidney stones are: 

1. Excruciating pain in the back
2. Pain while urinating
3. Tendency to vomit
4. Dizziness
5. Fever 

However, there are several preventive measures which you can undertake in order to avert the situation. Some of them are:

1. Drink lots of water: Kidney stone is one of those rare conditions that once occurred, always carry the latent threat of recurring again. Therefore, drinking water in large quantities becomes essential. The more you drink water, the more frequently you would urinate, thereby curbing the chances of the minerals settling in the kidneys.
2. Avoid certain foods: Food like beets, spinach, those which are replete with calcium oxalate should be avoided in order to minimize chances of having kidney stones. 
3. Foods recommended:
   • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
   • Drink plenty of water ( 10 -12 glasses of water)
   • Dietary calcium of 1gm a day
   • Low oxalate diet Foods to be restricted
   • Reduce the amount of salt in your diet
   • Restrict food containing excess of oxalate
   • Limit intake of animal proteins
4. Change your diet: If you are trying to avoid the eventuality of developing kidney stones, it is imperative that you change your diet a bit. It is recommended that you exclude animal protein as much as possible and assiduously avoid the intake of salt as much as possible.
5. Take less calcium supplements: Calcium generally is considered a nemesis to your kidneys and is prescribed by doctors to be avoided. However, recent research has thwarted this claim. Calcium does not pose a threat to kidneys. However, calcium supplements definitely do and therefore, should be avoided. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an urologist.