The easiest way to test your blood sugar level is with a urine test. When you have too much glucose in your blood, the excess is processed by your kidneys and excreted in your urine. Unfortunately, although urine testing is simple, it's not always...
Cystitis, or inflammation of the bladder, is caused by a bacterial infection. When any component of the urinary tract becomes infected, it is often referred to as a urinary tract infection (UTI). When the UTI goes untreated, or spreads to the...
An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that transmits through body tissues and provides an echo in return, showing up as a real-time video or photographic images. Renal ultrasounds detect and confirm any conditions related to the kidneys,...
If your doctor suspects that you have a medical problem involving the urinary tract, bladder or kidneys, she may recommend that you undergo a urinary diagnostic test. The Harvard Medical School and the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases...
Bladder cancer is a disease that affects mostly older adults, according to the Mayo Clinic, and has a high rate of recurrence. Symptoms include frequent, painful urination, recurring urinary tract infections and blood in the urine. Cancerous cells...
Bladder cancer can affect the lining of the bladder or extend deep into the muscle wall of the bladder. If it is not diagnosed and treated, it can also spread to lymph nodes and other organs. While the exact cause of bladder cancer is not known,...
Interstitial cystitis, which is also referred to as painful bladder syndrome, is a condition characterized by pain, discomfort or pressure in the bladder and occasionally, pelvic pain. The bladder pain results from a chronic inflammation of the...
Historically, cranberry juice has been used by Native Americans as a food and medicine to treat bladder problems. Today, it continues to be used to maintain overall bladder health by helping to prevent bladder infections, deodorizing urine in...
Blood pressure testing is a routine portion of any visit to a doctor's office. Unfortunately, some people suffer from "white coat syndrome," a colloquial term for anxiety in the doctor's office. Such anxiety can result in elevated readings, so...
As men age, they are at greater risk of developing an enlarged prostate--a condition also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Doctors may conduct a variety of tests in an effort to confirm the presence of an enlarged prostate; determine the...
Any time you're undergoing a medical test or procedure, it's important to let your doctor know about all the medicines, vitamins and supplements you use. It's usually not necessary to stop taking vitamins or supplements before a PSA test, but some...
Cystitis is an infection of the bladder and ureters, which can cause inflammation and tissue damage. Infectious cystitis can be caused by bacterial organisms, while non-infectious cystitis can be caused by drugs, medical treatments, chemicals and...
The urinary bladder is a muscular, pouch-like organ that stores urine from the kidneys until passage from the body. Infections, structural abnormalities, nerve disorders and other medical conditions can cause bladder symptoms. The nature of the...
About 14,000 people die from bladder cancer each year, according to the Clinic of Urology in Milwaukee, Wis. Risk factors for bladder cancer include obesity, cigarette smoking, tobacco use and a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables. Consuming a...
Body fat scales are similar to regular scales but with metal footplates. The body fat scale sends an electrical current up one side of the body and down the other to estimate body fat percentage. The premise behind the test is that body fat is a...
Your gall bladder is responsible for storing bile acids that are released when your body needs to digest fat. The gall bladder can develop an infection or gall stones; it can also become inflamed or blocked. If the gall bladder is not functioning...
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a forms of bladder dysfunction that may lead to loss of urine control (incontinence). People experiencing overactive bladder are not an isolated group; an estimated 13 million Americans experience OAB or other forms of...
Concerns about prostate health begin to mount as the average male gets older, and acronyms such as PSA become part of normal conversation. Prostate-Specific Antigen, or PSA, levels are measured as part of the diagnostic process for detecting...
Excess and frequent urination may be a sign of disease or a sign that you drank too much the night before. Regardless, frequent urination can become a great inconvenience and an intolerable annoyance, interrupting daily activities and a cause of...
Urinary incontinence is a condition in which a person has an inability to control the bladder. People with this condition often experience urine leakage when they are sneezing, coughing or sleeping. The four types of this urinary condition are...
Doctors diagnose 60,000 new cases of bladder cancer annually, according to the University of Southern California Institute of Urology. The majority of bladder cancers are confined to the superficial layers of the bladder at diagnosis; in 25...
Painful urination is not just a condition that affects adults. Children can have burning or stinging when urinating, as well as an increased in the need to urinate. These symptoms range in severity and signify either an infection or a temporary...
Bladder control problems, also known as urinary incontinence, are a common health complaint, especially among women. The American Urogynecologic Society states that 30 to 50 percent of women in the United States experience bladder control...
Oxalic acid is a naturally-occurring substance found in several foods. It is usually excreted in urine as a harmless metabolism byproduct. It can also combine with calcium, interfering with its absorption, or accumulate and lead to the formation...
The bladder is a common site of bacterial infection of the urinary tract. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that urinary tract infections prompt roughly 8.3 million doctor visits annually in the U.S....
You may be one of those who choose to start your day with coffee or some other source of caffeine, since this substance has stimulant properties that make you feel more alert. Other sources of caffeine include tea, chocolate and many cola drinks,...
The bladder is a muscular organ that stores the body's urine, which is a compilation of waste products and water. It is controlled by nerves that send signals from the brain of when to expel urine and when to retain urine. The National Kidney and...
Urinary tract infections occur anywhere along the urinary tract, which includes the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra, according to MedlinePlus. A bladder infection, or cystitis, can often emerge due to bubble baths, feminine hygiene sprays,...
To determine the best method of treatment for female urinary incontinence, your doctor will need to give you a complete medical exam, including an examination of your pelvic region. You may also need to keep a journal for a few days detailing how...
Bladder cancer can refer to any number of cancerous growths in the urinary bladder. Learn about bladder cancer and treatment options in this video.
