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Balanced Bites For Urinary Health

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Now that Spring has Sprung and summer on its way, we will discuss your Urinary Health this week.

Urinary System Function

The urinary system works with the lungs, skin and intestines to maintain the balance of chemicals and water in the body.

Adults eliminate about 800 to 2,000 milliliters per day based on typical daily fluid intake of 2 liters, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Urinary Tract System Anatomy

urinary tract image

The urinary tract system consists of the following:

  • Two Kidneys – (continuously produces urine, which then drains through the ureter into the bladder at a low pressure.)
  • Two Ureters – (the tubes connecting each kidney to the bladder)
  • The Bladder – (an expandable muscular sac that holds urine until it is released from the body)
  • The Urethra – (a tube attached to the bladder that leads to the outside of the body)

How The Urinary Tract System Works

Urinary Tract Disorders & Conditions

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract; they can affect the urethra, bladder or even the kidneys. While UTIs are more common in women, they can occur in men.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are clumps of calcium oxalate that can be found anywhere in the urinary tract. Kidney stones form when chemicals in the urine become concentrated enough to form a solid mass. They can cause pain in the back and sides, as well as blood in the urine.

Incontinence

Incontinence is another common disease of the urinary system. The most common bladder problems in women are frequent urges to urinate and leakage of urine.

Pelvic Prolapse

Problems can come in the form of a pelvic prolapse, which can result in leakage and can be the result of a vaginal delivery. 

There is the overactive bladder, “which is not related to having children or trauma.

A third condition involves overflow, in which the bladder does not completely empty.

Over-expansion of Bladder

Holding your urine for a short period of time, usually up to one hour, is okay,  However protracted and repeated holding of urine may cause over-expansion of bladder capacity, transmission of excess pressure into the kidneys, and the inability to completely empty the bladder.These problems in turn may lead to UTI, cystitis and deterioration of kidney function

Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also called painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic bladder condition, primarily in women, that causes bladder pressure and pain and, sometimes, pelvic pain to varying degrees, it can cause bladder scarring, and can make the bladder less elastic.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a swelling of the prostate gland and, therefore, can only occur in men. Often caused by advanced age, symptoms include urinary urgency and frequency, pelvic pain and pain during urination.

Kidney Failure

Kidney failure, also called renal failure and chronic kidney disease, can be a temporary (often acute) condition or can become a chronic condition resulting in the inability of the kidneys to filter waste from the blood.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is diagnosed in about 75,000 Americans each year and is more frequent in men and the elderly according. The symptoms, including back or pelvic pain, difficulty urinating and urgent/and or frequent urination, mimic other diseases or disorders of the urinary system.

Balanced Bites For Urinary Health

urinary tract image

Throughout life, sporadic contractions of bladder wall muscles occur separately from any need or appropriate opportunity to urinate. In younger people, most of these contractions are blocked by spinal cord and brain controls, but the number of sporadic contractions that are not blocked rises with age, resulting sometimes in episodes of urinary incontinence. The amount of urine that remains in the bladder after urination is completed (residual urine) increases. As a result, people may have to urinate more frequently and have a higher risk of urinary tract infections.

If you suspect you may have any of the above disorders or conditions. Contact your local Healthcare Practitioner.

Balanced Healing  can assist you with a personalised lifestyle plan to optimise your Urinary Health.

If you require any more information or treatment of your Urinary Tract System.

Contact Sr Bridget Spargo @ 083 653 7470 or Email: b@balancedhealing.co.za to book an appointment.

References:

Website: Biology of the Kidneys and Urinary Tract | Merck Manual Consumer Version

Website: https://www.livescience.com/27012-urinary-system.html

Website: https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/kidney-and-urinary-tract-disorders

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