Kidneys work aggressively day and night - this pair is responsible for all the cleaning - Waste Removal from your body.

Check out how you can keep your pair of kidneys functional right until you need them:

1) Increase Fluid Intake: No.1 reason for kidney stones/problems is not drinking enough water. When your fluid intake is low, it puts extra work load on the kidneys to pass toxins. Similarly excessive alcohol intake leads to dehydration and puts pressure on your kidneys making them age earlier.

2) Cut Back On Salt: Salt is anti-kidneys. If you have any chronic problem, try to aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.

3) Empty Your Bladder: Do not keep urine stored in bladder for too long. It majorly affects the functioning of kidneys.

4) Check On Chronic Problems: Manage your diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease well. These have direct impact on Kidneys, esp. Your cholesterol levels, sugar levels and blood pressure. Having high cholesterol, especially if you have diabetes, puts you more at risk for kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.

5) Balance your Physical Health: Keep your body active to keep organs such as kidneys in good functioning. Do at least 15 min of cardio exercises daily. Also, get sufficient rest for your body.

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5 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Active

Bladder is an organ of the lower abdomen which stores urine. Though it is a problem common to both men and women, women are two times more prone to be affected than men. 

The following are some of the causes that give rise to bladder pain.

Bacterial infection or urinary tract infection is one of the common causes of bladder pain. Women are more likely to encounter uninary tract infection. It occurs if bacteria sneak in through the urethra leading to develop an infection in the urinary tract, which in turn affects the urinary bladder.
Sometimes bladder stones can also give rise to bladder pain.
Painful Bladder Syndrome is yet another cause, wherein your bladder holds pee after your kidneys have filtered it but before you pee it out. This condition causes pain and pressure below your belly button, causing pain in the bladder.
Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the area below your bellybutton and between your hips that lasts six months or longer. There are multiple causes for such pain.
Bladder cancer is another possible cause of bladder pain. If uncontrolled cancer cells are formed in the bladder, then it gives rise to bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers and generates unbearable pain in the bladder.
Interstitial cystitis is another condition which gives rise to severe bladder pain. This condition is more commonly seen in women. The bladder becomes inflamed and irritated and the pain gets worse when the bladder is full or during menstruation. It is a chronic condition.
Urethral stricture is another cause of bladder pain. Men are likely to be more affected by this condition. In this case, the urethra becomes inflamed and narrow creating difficulties to pass urine.
Yeast infection also known as, Torulopsis is another cause of bladder pain.
Bladder pain can vary from being mild to severe. But, no matter what the degree of pain is, it requires serious medical attention. It is highly recommended that if you are suffering from bladder pain you must consult and seek a doctor's advice right from the beginning.

Bladder Pain - 8 Reasons Behind it 

Kidney stones are caused when certain minerals of your urine are retained and are not fully released, causing them to amalgamate and form a stone. Passing a kidney stone is one of the most painful experiences you may face physically. Its magnanimity is often compared to childbirth, and those who are suffering from kidney stones dread having this experience. If you are not yet affected by kidney stones and do not want to, read further to know what type of diet you need to follow in order to prevent it.

1. Drink lots of water: On an average, a person must be drinking at least 3 liters of water every day. If you live in a more hot and humid climate, your water intake must be even more than that, so that on an average, 2.5 liters of urine is passed throughout the day, which decreases the chance of unnecessary retention of minerals from the urine and release them more easily from the body.

2. Continue eating foods rich in calcium: It is a common misconception that calcium accelerates the formation of kidney stones. Calcium is digested by the intestine, only excess calcium cannot be digested by the intestine and is sent to the kidney. Continue consuming calcium rich foods unless your doctor prescribes you against it. Make sure your diet includes enough dairy products such as milk, cheeses, etc., or other calcium rich foods, such as oats and broccoli.

3. Limit intake of oxalic acid: Oxalic acid is mostly found in foods obtained from plants. It restricts the absorption of calcium in the intestines and as a result, more calcium is passed into the kidneys; thus, forming calcium oxalate, or oxalate stones. Try to avoid foods, such as rhubarb, Swiss chard, nuts, tea, sweet potatoes, etc.;mainly leguminous plant products.

4. Decrease the ingestion of sodium salts, sugar and meat protein: Salts and sugars, mainly found in packaged foods are used to prevent them from expiring. They increase the release of calcium and oxalates into the blood, which thus increases the chance to develop kidney stones. Meat contains fibers which affect certain nutrients in the kidney, thus aggravating the formation of stones.

5. Increase the consumption of insoluble fibers: Insoluble fibers are those rough fibers which are not soluble in water during the process of digestion. They are found in rice, wheat, barley, etc., and are found to decrease calcium absorption in the kidney. They attach themselves to the calcium and oxalates, which enable them to be released as stool instead of urine.

Kidney Stones and Your Diet

The prostate is a vital organ that located between the penis and the bladder. The prostate is involved in the release of the prostate fluid that keeps the sperm properly nourished. Prostate cancer, as the term indicates, is characterized by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells in the prostate. Though the incidences of prostate cancer are low in India, necessary precautions and diagnostic steps should be carried out to prevent the condition from jeopardizing our lives.

Prostate screening includes two tests known as the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and Prostate-Specific Antigen test (PSA). PSA combined with DRE helps to identify prostate cancer at a very early stage. If any of the tests show an abnormality, a doctor might prescribe an ultrasound such as MRI Fusion or Prostate Biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Immediate treatment may not be necessary
For low-risk prostate cancer, doctors often recommend active surveillance that includes periodic blood tests, rectal exam, and biopsies.
Active surveillance helps a doctor to continuously track the growth of cancer cells and the possibility of their spread to other areas of the body.
Surveillance is fit for those who are already suffering from a serious condition or for those patients who are above the age of 60.
A surgical procedure to remove prostate cancer
Surgery is considered when the cancer has metastasized to surrounding tissue and the lymph nodes. There are two kinds of surgeries that a patient can go through- a Robot-Assisted surgery and a Retropubic surgery.
Radical Prostatectomy might have risks involved. It is, therefore, wise to discuss the pros and cons of the surgery with the doctor well in advance.
Understanding the treatment options

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy involves the use of high-powered and high-frequency energy beams to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is often used to shrink the size of the cancer cells. There could be two types of radiation therapy-Brachytherapy and External beam radiation. Radiation therapy too can have its side effects. Doctors prescribe several medicines during therapy.
Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy helps to stop the production of a male hormone known as testosterone. This treatment option includes medication that completely stops the production of testosterone, the medications may also block the flow of testosterone on the cancer cells, and surgery to remove the testicles. Hormone therapy is used in advanced cancer stages.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a drug that goes into the body and kills rapidly growing and metastasizing cancer cells. It is administered through IV (intravenous), or orally as pill or both. This treatment option is employed when cancer spreads to a remote body location and does not respond to hormone therapy.
Biological therapy: Biological therapy involves the usage of the body s immune system to fight cancer. A type of biological therapy known as the sipuleucel-t is used to treat patients with advanced cancer stage and recurring cancer as well.

Prostate Cancer - How Biological Therapy Will Help?

The kidneys are a pair of bean shaped organs responsible for blood filtration. It also eliminates waste products from the body. The kidneys are located in the abdomenal cavity of the body and help in keeping a check on the electrolyte level in the body.

Polycystic kidney disease or PKD is a condition in which a number of cysts grow on the kidneys. The cysts are filled with fluid, and if the number or the size of the cyst increases, it can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure. 5% of kidney failures are caused by PKD. PKD does not affect only the kidneys. It can also cause the cyst to grow on other organs, such as liver, pancreas, ovaries, spleen and large bowel. The brain and the heart can also be affected by PKD. If it reaches the brain, an aneurism is caused. Heart murmurs may occur if PKD affects the heart.

Symptoms: Symptoms are visible for those in the 30 to 40 age group; however, it differs from person to person. Back pain or side pain, enlargement of the abdomen, blood in the urine, high blood pressure, and frequent bladder or kidney infections are some of the common symptoms of PKD.

Diagnosis: An ultrasound is the most dependable, affordable and non-invasive way to diagnose PKD. MRI and CT scans can be used to detect the volume of the cyst. It also helps to determine small cysts which cannot be detected by ultrasound.

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for PKD at present. But certain steps and measures can be taken to slow down the growth of the cyst and to control the symptoms.

Prevention: Keeping a check on blood pressure, use of prescribed antibiotics to treat kidney or bladder infection, restricted use of caffeine, and medications to control pain are some of the treatments for relief and for arresting the growth of the cyst. Research also shows that drinking plenty of water throughout the day can also slow down the growth of the cyst. A diet low in fat and moderate in calories is recommended.

Types: Autosomal dominant kidney disorder is a genetic disorder and is passed on to the child from the parent by dominant inheritance. It is the most common type of PKD. The symptoms are visible after the age of 30 to 40. Infantile or autosomal recessive PKD is a genetic disorder and is inherited by the child from the parent by recessive inheritance. The symptoms are visible during the early months of life or in the womb. It is a rare form of PKD and occurs in 1 out of 25,000 people. Acquired cystic kidney disease occurs due to long-term kidney damage and is linked with kidney failure and dialysis. The bleeding of the cyst causes the bleeding in the urinary system and leads to urine discolouration.

Poly Cystic Kidney Disease - How You Can Prevent it?

Urinary incontinence is the unintentional passing of urine. It's a common problem thought to affect millions of people. There are several types of urinary incontinence, including:

Stress Incontinence  when urine leaks out at times when your bladder is under pressure; for example, when you cough or laugh.
Urge Incontinence  when urine leaks as you feel a sudden, intense urge to pass urine, or soon afterwards.
Overflow Incontinence (chronic urinary retention)  when you're unable to fully empty your bladder, which causes frequent leaking.
Total Incontinence  when your bladder can't store any urine at all, which causes you to pass urine constantly or have frequent leaking.
It's also possible to have a mixture of both stress and urge urinary incontinence.

What causes urinary incontinence in men?

Urinary incontinence in men results when the brain does not properly signal the bladder, the sphincters do not squeeze strongly enough, or both. The bladder muscle may contract too much or not enough because of a problem with the muscle itself or the nerves controlling the bladder muscle. Damage to the sphincter muscles themselves or the nerves controlling these muscles can result in poor sphincter function. These problems can range from simple to complex.

A man may have factors that increase his chances of developing UI, including

birth defects problems with development of the urinary tract
a history of prostate cancer surgery or radiation treatment for prostate cancer can lead to temporary or permanent UI in men
UI is not a disease. Instead, it can be a symptom of certain conditions or the result of particular events during a man s life. Conditions or events that may increase a man s chance of developing UI include

benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) a condition in which the prostate is enlarged yet not cancerous. In men with BPH, the enlarged prostate presses against and pinches the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker. Eventually, the bladder may weaken and lose the ability to empty, leaving some urine in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and incomplete emptying of the bladder can lead to UI.
chronic coughing long-lasting coughing increases pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor muscles.
neurological problems men with diseases or conditions that affect the brain and spine may have trouble controlling urination.
physical inactivity decreased activity can increase a man s weight and contribute to muscle weakness.
obesity extra weight can put pressure on the bladder, causing a need to urinate before the bladder is full.
older age bladder muscles can weaken over time, leading to a decrease in the bladder s capacity to store urine.
Treating Urinary Incontinence

Initially, your GP may suggest some simple measures to see if they help improve your symptoms. These may include:

lifestyle changes   such as losing weight and cutting down on caffeine and alcohol
pelvic floor exercises   exercising your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing them, taught by a specialist 
bladder training   where you learn ways to wait longer between needing to urinate and passing urine, guided by a specialist
You may also benefit from the use of incontinence products, such as absorbent pads and handheld urinals.
Medication may be recommended if you're still unable to manage your symptoms.
Surgery may also be considered. The specific procedures suitable for you will depend on the type of incontinence you have.
Surgical treatments for stress incontinence, such as tape or sling procedures, are used to reduce pressure on the bladder or strengthen the muscles that control urination.
Operations to treat urge incontinence include enlarging the bladder or implanting a device that stimulates the nerve that controls the detrusor muscles.

Men Urinary Incontinence Treatment

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