What Does an Urology Specialist Do?

A urology specialist is a surgeon who specializes in treating disorders and diseases that affect female and male urinary tracts and the male reproductive system. A surgeon who specializes in urology may treat patients who have conditions that affect such organs as the bladder and kidneys. He may also assist patients who have prostate gland conditions or male infertility.

There are many types of conditions that a urology specialist may treat. Among them are urinary incontinence and bladder cancer. A person in this field may also treat individuals with either kidney or bladder stones, testicular cancer, enlarged prostate glands, or impotence. This type of surgeon typically treats urinary tract infections in both sexes as well.

A urology specialist may work in a hospital or other type of medical care facility. Sometimes these surgeons decide to open their own practices instead. No matter where he works, however, this type of specialist typically consults with other doctors to provide optimal care for his patients. He may, for example, consult with a patient’s primary care doctor or oncologist to ensure the success of his patient’s treatment.

There are sub-specialties a urology specialist may opt to pursue. For example, he may decide to become a pediatric urologist, working only with children. Another urology specialist may focus on urologic oncology, working with cancer patients. Some may prefer to concentrate on female urology, dealing only with disorders of the female urinary tract while others specialize in performing kidney transplants.

Sometimes a urology specialist decides to work only with male patients, treating men with urinary infections or obstructions and prostate gland disorders. He may deal with matters related to sexual dysfunction or infertility as well. A specialist who treats men may also perform vasectomies, rendering male patients incapable of fathering children.

Though urology specialists are qualified to perform surgery, this doesn’t mean they are limited to it. A person in this field also diagnoses conditions and may provide medicinal treatment in addition to or instead of surgical care. He may also use a range of special equipment, such as catheters and diathermy machines, devices that heat bodily tissues, when treating his patients.

A person who pursues this career usually has many years of education ahead of him. He must complete high school and then attend college, earning a bachelor’s degree after four years of study. Following college, an aspiring urology specialist goes on to complete four years of medical school. Once all of this education is complete, an aspiring urology specialist then has five or more years of residency training ahead of him before he can become a urology specialist.

Prostatitis Which Might Not Be

Chronic prostatitis is the most common disease of the male reproductive system and is one of the most common diseases in men in general. According to various estimates, up to 50% of men suffer from some form of prostatitis, so that the disease takes on social significance.

Prostate - unpaired glandular-muscular body, functionally dependent on the level of male sex hormones (androgens), weighing about 25 grams, size 3.0 x4, 0x2, 5 cm, cone-shaped, located between the bladder and the urogenital diaphragm pelvis.

Iron is finally formed at puberty in males and regresses elderly. Decreasing androgen levels in blood functional activity of prostatic cancer is also reduced.

The secret of the prostate is up to 35% of the contents of sperm, increasing its volume, is involved in its dilution, has a stabilizing effect on the enzymatic and ejaculate in general and activates the movement of sperm. So the normal functioning of a healthy prostate gland - an important condition fulfilling sex life of men. Problems arise when the prostate gland dysfunction occurs long before the time appointed by nature. Very often, these problems are connected with the occurrence of a disease, as prostatitis.

Prostatitis - is infectious and inflammatory disease of the prostate gland, often manifested only mild symptoms and therefore it is difficult to diagnose, which in turn can cause late-treatment the patient to the doctor.

There are acute and chronic prostatitis, the latter may arise as a result of acute prostatitis or develop their own.

Recently there has been an increased incidence of prostatitis. In areas with low seasonal temperatures, with significant differences of its high moisture content and it is particularly high, reaching 70%. Striking men relatively young age (20-50 years), prostatitis can lead to functional impairment of sexual intercourse (premature ejaculation, the weakening of adequate erection, orgasm and effacement, etc.), and is often a cause of male infertility.

Acute prostatitis occurs with clinical symptoms (pain in the perineum, suprapubic, at the root of the penis, in the sacrum and in the urethra, fever, disorders of urination, etc.), whereas the clinical manifestations of chronic prostatitis can vary from minor, for patients who do not pay attention to the very pronounced symptoms, exhausting his constancy.

Often the long-term course of prostatitis complicated by inflammation of the seminal vesicles, testis and epididymis, sclerosis of the bladder neck and prostate, which, in turn, exacerbate the patient's condition.

The cause of infectious prostatitis may be a variety of bacteria, viruses, chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, fungi, trichomonas, and other microorganisms, and the role of infections, sexually transmitted infections in the occurrence of prostatitis recently increased significantly.

The main sources of infection of the prostate are: bacterial vaginosis in women, infection of other foci of infection in the body (tonsillitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, peridontity, pneumonia, cholecystitis and cholangitis, proctitis, purulent skin diseases, etc.), hospital infection microflora. Sometimes stubborn for prostatitis is associated with allergic and autoimmune processes.

The most common microbes that are responsible for the occurrence of prostatitis is the so-called - Gram-positive microbial flora (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus), although often the cause of prostatitis can be gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, etc.).

Many doctors believe that prostatitis is closely related to the stagnation in the prostate gland, leading eventually to the overflow of blood and blood prostate swelling. They even emit an independent form of prostatitis associated with stagnation in the prostate, called congestive (stagnant), prostatitis, when for all the clinical symptoms of the disease and no inflammatory changes in prostatic infection.

However, the underlying non-infectious prostatitis congestion in the pelvis and in the prostate gland itself are a good backdrop for the accession of the particular disease. At the same predisposing factors for infection are joining the cold factor, vascular, trophic and morphological changes in the pelvic organs, immune deficiency.

Venous stasis in the pelvis contribute to the structural features of its venous plexus and the most near prostatic space. By the stagnation in the pelvis can cause diseases of the rectum and surrounding tissue (abscess), hemorrhoids, anal fissures, as well as alcohol consumption, intake of spicy food, etc.
Prostatitis, Which Might Not Be


It should be noted adverse effect on the functional state of the prostate sedentary lifestyles and occupations associated with exposure to vibration (drivers of vehicles, etc.). It is believed that non-infectious prostatitis does not happen, and they are next due to microorganisms, united under the name of "opportunistic infections" that are difficult to diagnose because of the lack of appropriate laboratory facilities.

There are also a number of habits that increase the probability of hit men at risk of prostatitis: oral-genital or anal intercourse, sexual perversions and excesses dysrhythmia sex life, interrupted and deliberately tightened sexual acts, sexual frustration. It should point out the harm of excessive masturbation sessions.

Treatment of chronic prostatitis can be a serious problem for doctors, urologists, and should, as a rule, be comprehensive, including drug therapy against the background of local and sometimes the overall impact of physical therapy, which is often chosen individually according to the clinical manifestations of the disease, the characteristics of the patient.

Recently, with the commercialization of medicine, treatment success depends on the financial capacity of the patient, as the cost of treatment is highly effective drugs and methods considerably exceeds the average statistical level of wages in the country.

Prevention of prostatitis can be divided into primary and secondary. By means of primary prevention activities to the inadmissibility of this disease, and a secondary - prevention of relapse after successful treatment.

Primary prevention of chronic prostatitis is a leading healthy, active lifestyle, full and varied diet, with no excess acute, irritating foods, limiting alcohol use, occupation bracing gymnast or if required (sedentary work, for example) special physical therapy aimed at improving the microcirculation (blood flow) in the pelvic organs and the strengthening of his muscles (squats, mahi and cycling leg movements, muscle tension crotch with retraction of the anus, etc.), prevention, prompt and adequate treatment of infectious (septic), diseases of other organs, preventing stagnation in the small pelvis (elimination of constipation, etc.) and diseases of the rectum.

Youths useful to engage in sports such as athletics, swimming, skiing, skating, badminton, etc.

For men, an ordering of sexual relations, the exclusion of casual sex, which can be fraught with numerous infections, sexually transmitted infections and underlying most of prostatitis.

Secondary prevention of prostatitis is aimed at preventing the recurrence of the disease, their timely diagnosis and treatment, especially not clinically manifested forms of the disease. To this end, shows the dynamic observation of the patient by a doctor, a urologist at the background of events for primary prevention.

Additional therapeutic effects identified during follow-up visits the doctor-urologist after treatment. Such inspections are recommended every month for the first three months after completion of treatment, the subsequent one every 3 months during the year, and further 1 every 6 months for 3 years, after which in the case of absence of recurrence of prostatitis patient can be removed from the register. When you visit a doctor without fail the analysis of prostate secretion, and after the treatment of infectious forms of the disease is desirable and bacteriological examination, persons older than 40 years shows an ultrasonic examination of the prostate, the definition of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not less than 1 time per year.

Important role in the timely recognition of prostatitis dispensary has a doctor's visit a urologist healthy men over 40 years old and out of high-risk groups.

In conclusion, we can summarize what today has become more urgent prevention of prostatitis, so how to prevent it much easier and cheaper than then years engaged in treatment with no guaranteed result. In other words, the concept of health gains significance of the material, allowing citizens to save substantial material resources spent on the treatment of diseases which could have been avoided.

Different Types of Prostate Cancer Treatments

Prostate cancer is a disease where the cells in the prostate gland divide more rapidly than normal. There are several treatment methods used to treat this type of cancer. Some prostate cancer treatments include watchful waiting, surgery, hormone therapy, radiation, and chemotherapy. The use and combination of these prostate cancer treatments depend on the advancement of the disease as well as the age and health of the patient.

Prostate cancer commonly progresses slowly, so if a patient is young and otherwise healthy, a doctor may prescribe watchful waiting. During this treatment, no procedures to stop the cancer are given to the patient. Rather, the patient will have to visit to the doctor often to determine the progress of the disease. This option can be used if the patient does not want to deal with the side effects connected with the other prostate cancer treatments. A doctor may also recommend this remedy if the patient has a long life expectancy with the disease.

If the prostate cancer is severe and advanced, surgery may be an option. Radical prostatectomy is a surgery in which the entire prostate, the surrounding tissues, and seminal vesicles are removed. Other types of surgeries remove parts of the tissue or the lymph nodes. Some of these surgeries can be used to investigate how far the cancer has spread as well. The surgeries may also have severe side-effects, including impotence and leaking urine and fecal matter.

Some male sex hormones can contribute to prostate cancer growth. Both healthy and cancerous cells use these hormones to grow. For this reason, steroids therapy is one of the types of prostate cancer treatments that can be used to help slow the progression of cancer. Certain chemicals and some hormones, such as estrogen, can be used to prevent cell growth. There also are special procedures to stop cell growth as well, but it is important to note that these treatments aim to stop all cell growth, healthy and cancerous. Unfortunately, this can lead to severe side-effects as well, such as impotence.

Radiation therapy uses the cancerous cells’ rapid growth and division against them. When cells are exposed to radiation, it can cause damage to cells. Should the cells divide while they are damaged, they will die. Healthy cells will usually repair that damage before they divide, but cancerous cells do not. Thus, the radiation can kill off cancer cells while leaving healthy cells to divide normally.

It is important that radiation used in radiation therapy be aimed carefully, however. Even healthy cells will not be able to repair damage if exposed to too much radiation. The two types of radiation therapy commonly used in prostate cancer treatments are external therapy and internal therapy. External therapy is commonly done five days a week and consists of doses of radiation aimed at the area of the cancer from an external source. With internal therapy, the treatment can be inserted into the body using packets of radiation called seeds that emit radiation over a period of time.

Chemotherapy also is a cancer treatment that uses chemicals to kill cells that divide quickly. Chemotherapy can be a systemic treatment that is injected into the bloodstream or ingested through the mouth to kill cells that divide rapidly all over the body. The therapy can also be regional, or injected into the spinal column, so the drug affects a specific area. The risk with using chemotherapy is that it also kills other cells that divide quickly, such as those in hair follicles and cells in the gastrointestinal tract. This explains why some patients lose their hair or get sick after undergoing such therapy.

What Is Male Infertility?

Approximately 10% of all couples will face infertility problems while trying to conceive, with male infertility being the cause of almost half of those cases. A couple is considered to be infertile after they have tried unsuccessfully for a year or more to get pregnant. A diagnosis of male infertility can be devastating, but there are several treatments and options available for couple to help them to conceive.

There are dozens of reasons a man may be experiencing infertility. Hormone disorders, a sexually transmitted disease (STD), infections, and trauma to the reproductive organs are among the most common causes for male infertility. Sexual dysfunction, an obstruction, medications, testicular cancer, or other medical conditions, such as sickle cell anemia, can also lead to fertility problems.

When a couple is facing infertility problems, a fertility specialist will check for male infertility first. Male infertility is easier to test for and diagnose; infertility in women is usually more complicated. The first thing s doctor will do is to ask the patient about his medical and sexual history, and then the doctor will perform a physical exam. If everything is normal, the doctor will then schedule the male for semen analysis, which will check the man's sperm for several different properties. The most obvious thing to check for is the number of normal, moving sperm, referred to as concentration, morphology and motility. Some medical conditions can cause a man to produce irregular or deformed sperm that are not capable of fertilizing an egg.

Sperm analysis will also check for the concentration of the semen. If the sperm is physically normal, infertility may be caused by the man's seminal fluid being too thick or thin, preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. The volume of ejaculate will be measured as well. Another medical test for male infertility requires doctors to use a hamster egg to test if the sperm is able to penetrate the walls of a female's egg.

Male infertility is usually treated in one of three ways. The first way is through drug therapy. There are many medications that can boost sperm count, and fight infections that can compromise the health of the sperm. Some conditions, such as obstructions, can be solved through surgery.

The final way is through assisted reproduction. Sperm can be gathered from the man using one of several techniques. The sperm may then be treated, through a wash or a centrifuge, reducing the number of abnormal sperm. After this, the sperm will be combined with an egg through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). IVF involves combining healthy sperm and several eggs together in a Petri dish, and letting the sperm naturally fertilize the egg. In ICSI, the sperm is inserted into the egg with a needle. This method is usually used when a man's sperm is immobile and unable to fertilize an egg on its own.

There are many treatment options available for men who suffer from infertility. Couples who have been actively trying to conceive for over a year should schedule an appointment with their doctor to discuss the possibility of a fertility problem. Couples who are over the age of 30 should see their doctor after six months of unsuccessful attempts, because most women begin to lose their chance of getting pregnant in their mid-to-late thirties. An early diagnosis gives the couple a better chance of starting a family before the woman begins menopause.

Testosterone Cream

Testosterone is an important hormone in both male and female bodies. Having too little testosterone can lead to a decreased sex drive, diabetes, and may contribute to obesity. One way to treat low testosterone levels is topical testosterone cream, which can raise the level of testosterone in a person, and reduce any symptoms associated with having low testosterone.

Testosterone cream is usually applied once every 24 hours and is often rubbed into the shoulders, upper arms, or stomach area. Testosterone cream works by direct absorption through the skin. Once the cream enters the blood stream, the individual's testosterone levels are boosted for several hours. The cream enters the bloodstream rapidly, and is effective almost immediately.

Millions of men and women experience low levels of testosterone. Some of the main causes of low testosterone are diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Doctors are also aware that testosterone levels naturally start to decrease in men after the age of 50.

There are several symptoms that men with low testosterone suffer from, including depression and hair loss, but the most disturbing symptom for most men are those that interfere with a man's sexual health. A lack of testosterone most often affects the sexual organs in a negative way, which may lead to impotence or a decrease in sex drive. Some of the more serious problems that low testosterone levels can cause include an increased risk of cancer, higher storage of body fat, and chronic fatigue.

Unfortunately, no medication is without side effects, and testosterone cream has a few downsides. Individuals may experience headaches, hypertension, stomach problems, and irritation around the area where the testosterone cream is applied. These side effects may make testosterone cream a poor choice for some men.

Some individuals prefer a more natural method to increasing their testosterone. A change in diet is the most natural way to achieve higher levels. There are particular foods that can help the body boost testosterone levels, such as oysters, eggs, broccoli, garlic, and beef.

Women should not use testosterone creams formulated for men, since this can lead to a number of undesirable side effects, including acne, extreme mood changes, a deepening of the voice, excessive body hair, and an enlargement of the clitoris. In some parts of the world there are testosterone creams formulated specifically for women, which typically have a lower dosage of testosterone than men's creams. There are no approved testosterone creams for women in the US, but doctors can instruct a pharmacist to make testosterone medications for a patient. Both men and women should consult their doctor before applying a testosterone cream to make sure that the medication will best suit their medical needs.

Acrosome. What Is It?

The acrosome is a specialized organelle found on sperm cells. It wraps around the head of the sperm and contains enzymes designed to help the sperm penetrate the egg by breaking down the proteins in the egg's cell wall. In a process known as the acrosome reaction, the sperm cell fuses with the egg, releases the enzymes, and enters the egg to complete fertilization. This structure is of particular interest to fertility specialists, as problems with the acrosome reaction can cause fertility issues.

Viewed in cross-section, the acrosome looks like a thin cap covering the anterior section of the sperm. It forms during maturation of the sperm in the testes. As sperm approach the egg head first, they must fuse with the egg so the structure can break open, releasing the enzymes it contains. The enzymes soften the hard shell of the egg, making it possible for the sperm to penetrate by wriggling against the cell wall and slipping through the softened section.

Organisms that reproduce sexually rely on the acrosome to help their sperm enter the egg. Each sperm is slightly different, and success depends on the speed with which it reaches the egg, as well as the ability to successfully penetrate it. Once a sperm has managed to get beyond the shell of the egg, the tail drops off, as the sperm cell no longer needs to be motile. The fertilized egg can begin the process of multiplying and dividing, creating an embryo that will develop into a new organism with time.

In men with fertility issues, one test doctors may recommend is an assessment of the ability of the sperm to penetrate an egg. A sperm sample can be taken and exposed to chemicals that trigger the acrosome reaction in a specimen dish. If the sperm cell does not react as expected, this may explain why the man is having difficulty impregnating his partner. A doctor can discuss the options for the couple if they wish to continue trying to get pregnant.

It may be possible to get pregnant with the use of in vitro fertilization, where a care provider can assist the sperm with penetrating the egg and a viable fertilized embryo can later be implanted in the woman or a surrogate in a medical procedure. Couples may also consider the use of donor sperm that has been screened for viability in order to achieve a pregnancy.

Air Pollution & Men's Health

Air pollution increases the risk of death from heart attack



As part of the new study, scientists have even more compelling case for proof of the fact that elevated levels of air pollution may be associated with a greater risk of heart attacks, heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease. The results were published online in the Journal of the European Heart Journal.

According to the experts, to analyse the data for the whole group of epidemiological, toxicological and other medical research over the past six years, most strongly increases the risk of air pollution fine aerosol particles as small as 2.5 microns. These particles are released into the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuels in industry, transport and energy.

The scientists found that the mortality rate in certain cities increased with increasing air pollution at 2.5 microns - tiny particles - 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which is about 30 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair.

Dr. Cathryn Tonne, professor of environmental epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene, commented that with the opening of new production facilities in different cities in Europe in recent years, the level of pollutants in the air is often increased by the amount specified. This led to an increase in the risk of death from heart attack and stroke by 20%, and in the cities of Eastern Europe, where the control in this area is very low, levels of contamination were appalling. According to experts, if today's patients with the problems of the cardiovascular system to move to more environmentally friendly conditions, the risk of death from heart attack are automatically reduced by 12%.

In London, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was increased by 25%, while in Birmingham on 17%, and in Manchester, the traditional commercial center of the country - 23%, with data on other cities were mixed. Experts note that the prediction of environmental conditions in a particular city should consider many aspects, including the height above sea level, and the state of water and soil. In some cities in Northern Europe, traditionally under the influence of strong air currents (winds), the degree of contamination is low, while in urban areas with standing air, these levels, however, will be further enhanced.