Common Ailments Of The Excretory System (part 1)

Excretory System and its Ailments

The ailments discussed in this article are those that affect the kidneys, bladder, spleen and lymph nodes.Some people pass out urine very frequently but others do not.Some people experience abdominal pain while doing so.Frequent or infrequent passing out of urine which is often accompanied by abdominal pain are symptoms that something is wrong somewhere in the urinary tract.Common ailments that affect the excretory system, most of these are centered in the kidneys and bladder.

Urinary tract infections (UTI ).Urinary tract infections include infections of the bladder and the urethra.

These infections commonly occur in females because of their short urethra.Bacteria and other organisms can easily spread into the bladder.The symptoms of UTI may be difficulty in passing out urine, blood in the urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics.Infections can be avoided by drinking plenty of water and taking a daily bath.

Urinary Tract Stones . Stones are mostly calcium salts that precipitate (meaning, separate from solution) from urine.They may form in the kidneys, in the bladder and in the ureters.Symptoms of the presence of stones are difficulty in passing out urine, infrequent urination and blood in the urine.Stones that are less than 5 mm in diameter can normally pass out with urine.Drinking plenty of water helps flush out the small stones in the urinary tract.However, bigger stones need a doctor's attention.The treatment is removed by surgery.A newer treatment uses ultrasonic energy to crush the stone.The pieces must be small enough to be flushed out with the urine.

Nephritis . Nephritis is an inflammation of one or both kidneys which is common among children and young people.This ailment affects mostly those who have just suffered from sore throat and other infections caused by streptococci (kind of harmful bacteria).The symptoms of nephritis are headaches, back pain and slight fever.The urine may look smoky or it may contain blood.In some cases, the patient may have swollen face and ankles.Treatment includes a controlled diet and bed rest.In severe cases, the patient may undergo dialysis.

Bladder cancer . Bladder cancer affects more men than women.It occurs mostly in persons over 50 years of age.Factors that contribute to the development of bladder cancer are (1) cigarette smoking and (2) exposure to some industrial chemicals.The early symptoms may be blood in the urine which does not cause any pain.Later, the patient may have painful and difficult urination.Radiation therapy is used when the disease is in an advanced stage.In some cases, a part of the bladder or the whole of it is removed.

note: originally posted at Exposeknowledge.com under the same author.

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