Urinary System

The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra.

The two kidneys are organs located one on each side of the back just about at the "love handle" area/middle back. The kidneys are important organs that perform multiple functions besides filtering and removal of uremic waste products from the blood and production of urine. They maintain the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) and other specific blood components, they produce a hormone that aids in the production of red blood cells. It is possible for a single kidney to adequately handle the functions if one is diseased or damaged. Kidney transplants are no longer an uncommon procedure and have improved the lives of countless people.

The two ureters are tubes that carry the urine from their funnel shaped ends that connect to the kidneys out to the bladder.

The bladder is a hollow storage chamber for urine. The bladder is emptied when full by relaxation of the urinary sphincter which allows the urine to be excreted into the urethra and on to outside the body.

The urethra is a tube that takes the urine outside the body to void the bladder.

Common disorders or diseases of the urinary tract system are numerous.

Below are listed just some of the most common conditions.

Kidney: Kidney stones that form from sediments and can block urine passage, kidney infections (nephritis), kidney failure, kidney disease secondary to Diabetes or high blood pressure, kidney damage from toxic chemicals or medication side effects, imbalance of the electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), cysts, or benign or malignant cancerous lesions, disruption in the production of the hormone that is required for proper red blood cell formation which causes anemia. When kidney function is impaired by disease, a dialysis machine is used to artificially filter the blood outside the body and return the cleaned blood back to the kidney as a temporary measure until transplants can be performed.

Ureters: Infections (ureteritis), stones blocking the flow of urine, cancer, abnormal genetic anatomical conditions that kink or otherwise block passage of urine, malfunction of the valves that prevent urine from going back into the kidneys.

Bladder: Infections (cystitis), cysts, cancer or benign tumors, blockage of the bladder neck (area of attachment of urethra to bladder), disorders that can cause incontinence or leaking of urine usually resulting from reduced tone from paralysis or other disorders of the bladder muscles, displacement of bladder due to stretching or damage to the ligaments that hold it in place (often due to pregnancy and childbirth in women), Interstitial Cystitis which is a disorder of the tissue lining the inside of the bladder that causes infections and painful cracking of the lining tissue and various other chronic problems like incontinence or inability to empty the bladder with painful distention.

Urethra: Infections (urethritis), urethral cancer, blockage from sediments or stones.

The male reproductive organs can also be considered part of the urinary tract and conditions might be a hypertrophy (enlargement) of the prostate (pronounced 'Pra-state' but commonly mispronounced as 'Pra-straight') which can disrupt the flow of urine, infection of the prostate (prostatitis), inflammation of the testicles and connected epididymus, where sperm are stored during their maturation, (epididymitis) which can be caused by bacterial infections or sometimes sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Assuming that the person is not simply making a conscious effort to hold their urine, there are many possible reasons for an inability to urinate, many of which should be properly diagnosed by a physician. The bottom line is that if you are certain that minor dehydration is not the issue, GO SEE A DOCTOR. The inability to urinate could indicate and/or cause serious health problems, check it out sooner than later.

Here are some possibilities:

• Dehydration (the body has not received enough water from food and/or drink to produce sufficient urine to trigger the urge to excrete it).
• Some non-prescription cough suppressing medications (cough syrups, etc.) can make urination very difficult.
• Some prescription and non-prescription medications may have side-effects such as an inability to, or difficulty with, urination.
• Prostate problems.
• Bladder, Urinary tract, Kidney, or other infections.
• In men, an erection, or with some women, sexual arousal, can also make it difficult, if not impossible to urinate.