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The urinary system serves the function of ridding the body of certain toxic or unnecessary waste products. It begins in the kidney, where blood containing these toxins passes through a sieve-like structure, resulting in the retention in the filtered blood of all the needed elements. The remaining, unneeded chemicals pass from the kidneys as a liquid (urine) down two tubes (one for each kidney) called the ureters and into the bladder. There the urine waits until the bladder, which is actually...
The urinary system serves the function of ridding the body of certain toxic or unnecessary waste products. It begins in the kidney, where blood containing these toxins passes through a sieve-like structure, resulting in the retention in the filtered blood of all the needed elements. The remaining, unneeded chemicals pass from the kidneys as a liquid (urine) down two tubes (one for each kidney) called the ureters and into the bladder. There the urine waits until the bladder, which is actually a muscle, contracts and the urine is passed from the body through a single tube called the urethra during urination.
Most of the time this system works well, but problems may occur, especially in the elderly. One problem is that the muscles in the bladder may contract sporadically, leading to a loss of urine (incontinence). Typically the patient experiences these contractions as a sudden urge to urinate, and may not make it to the bathroom in time; this is called urge incontinence. Drug treatment for this condition seeks to prevent stimulation of the bladder muscles.
Alternatively, the bladder may be unable to contract adequately and urine thus accumulates in the bladder (urinary retention). Sometimes the bladder is so full it overflows, a condition called overflow incontinence. Drug treatment for this condition seeks to increase bladder contractions to aid urination.
Another form of incontinence is stress incontinence. This form of incontinence, not infrequent after childbirth, is a result of damage to the muscles in the pelvis. In this condition, a cough or a sneeze results in the leakage of urine. Muscle-strengthening exercises and, rarely, surgery are among the approaches to this condition.
It is important to distinguish between urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, stress incontinence, and a fourth form of incontinence called functional incontinence (incontinence due to ambulatory difficulties or inadequate access to a toilet), as each has different treatments.
Another common affliction of the urinary tract system is an infection called a urinary tract infection (UTI). If a UTI ascends the urinary tract it can enter the kidneys and cause lasting damage. The antibiotics that treat UTIs are discussed elsewhere on this web site; in this profile we discuss a drug that is claimed to act as a painkiller for the urinary tract, especially during infections.
