Q: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Overview: UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract, leading to infection and inflammation. Causes: Bacterial invasion through the urethra, commonly from the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms : Increased frequency of urination, urgency, burning sensation during urination, cloudy or strong-smelling urine, pelvic pain. Treatment: Antibiotics to eliminate the bacterial infection, increased fluid intake, and urinary analgesics for symptom relief.

Q: Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS)

Overview: IC/BPS is a chronic condition characterised by bladder pain and urinary symptoms. Causes: The exact cause is unknown but may involve inflammation, autoimmune factors, or bladder lining abnormalities. Symptoms: Chronic pelvic pain, urinary frequency, urgency, bladder pressure or discomfort, pain during sexual intercourse. Treatment: No definitive cure, but treatment may include bladder instillations (medications directly into the bladder), oral medications, physical therapy, nerve stimulation, dietary modifications, and pain management techniques.

Q: Overactive Bladder (OAB)

Overview: OAB refers to a group of urinary symptoms caused by involuntary bladder contractions. Causes: The exact cause is often unclear, but it can be related to nerve problems, muscle dysfunction, or underlying medical conditions. Symptoms: Frequent urination, sudden and intense urges to urinate, urge incontinence, nocturia. Treatment: Behavioural therapies (bladder training, pelvic floor exercises), medications (anticholinergics, beta-3 agonists), nerve stimulation, and in rare cases, surgical interventions.

Q: Urinary Incontinence

Overview: Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urine flow, resulting in involuntary leakage. Causes: Weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, nerve damage, hormonal changes, or underlying medical conditions. Symptoms: Involuntary urine leakage, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence. Treatment: Behavioural techniques (pelvic floor exercises, bladder training), medications (anticholinergics, alpha-blockers), medical devices (pessaries), and in severe cases, surgery.

Q: Bladder Stones

Overview: Bladder stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the bladder. Causes: Concentrated urine, urinary tract infections, or underlying medical conditions. Symptoms: Lower abdominal pain, blood in urine, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Treatment: Small stones may pass on their own, while larger stones may require interventions such as medications to dissolve them, lithotripsy, or surgical removal.

Q: Bladder Cancer

Overview: Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the bladder lining. Causes: Most cases are associated with exposure to carcinogenic substances, such as tobacco smoke or occupational chemicals. Symptoms: Blood in urine, frequent urination, pain during urination, pelvic pain, back pain, weight loss. Treatment: Treatment options depend on the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.

Question 1

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Accepted Answer

Overview: UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract, leading to infection and inflammation.
Causes: Bacterial invasion through the urethra, commonly from the gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms: Increased frequency of urination, urgency, burning sensation during urination, cloudy or strong-smelling urine, pelvic pain.
Treatment: Antibiotics to eliminate the bacterial infection, increased fluid intake, and urinary analgesics for symptom relief.

Question 2

Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS)

Accepted Answer

Overview: IC/BPS is a chronic condition characterised by bladder pain and urinary symptoms.
Causes: The exact cause is unknown but may involve inflammation, autoimmune factors, or bladder lining abnormalities.
Symptoms: Chronic pelvic pain, urinary frequency, urgency, bladder pressure or discomfort, pain during sexual intercourse.
Treatment: No definitive cure, but treatment may include bladder instillations (medications directly into the bladder), oral medications, physical therapy, nerve stimulation, dietary modifications, and pain management techniques.

Question 3

Overactive Bladder (OAB)

Accepted Answer

Overview: OAB refers to a group of urinary symptoms caused by involuntary bladder contractions.
Causes: The exact cause is often unclear, but it can be related to nerve problems, muscle dysfunction, or underlying medical conditions.
Symptoms: Frequent urination, sudden and intense urges to urinate, urge incontinence, nocturia.
Treatment: Behavioural therapies (bladder training, pelvic floor exercises), medications (anticholinergics, beta-3 agonists), nerve stimulation, and in rare cases, surgical interventions.

Question 4

Urinary Incontinence

Accepted Answer

Overview: Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urine flow, resulting in involuntary leakage.
Causes: Weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, nerve damage, hormonal changes, or underlying medical conditions.
Symptoms: Involuntary urine leakage, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence.
Treatment: Behavioural techniques (pelvic floor exercises, bladder training), medications (anticholinergics, alpha-blockers), medical devices (pessaries), and in severe cases, surgery.

Question 5

Bladder Stones

Accepted Answer

Overview: Bladder stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the bladder.
Causes: Concentrated urine, urinary tract infections, or underlying medical conditions.
Symptoms: Lower abdominal pain, blood in urine, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
Treatment: Small stones may pass on their own, while larger stones may require interventions such as medications to dissolve them, lithotripsy, or surgical removal.

Question 6

Bladder Cancer

Accepted Answer

Overview: Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the bladder lining.
Causes: Most cases are associated with exposure to carcinogenic substances, such as tobacco smoke or occupational chemicals.
Symptoms: Blood in urine, frequent urination, pain during urination, pelvic pain, back pain, weight loss.
Treatment: Treatment options depend on the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.

A/Prof Timothy Skyring

A/Prof Peter Chin

Dr Elizabeth Dally

Dr Paul Kovac

Dr Rahul Rindani

Dr Helen Nicholson

Dr Minh Tran

Dr Rasha Gendy

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Bladder

The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ located in the pelvis.

Common Bladder Conditions:

Our Urologists who specialise in Bladder conditions:

A/Prof Timothy Skyring

MBBS, FRACS

Urologist

A/Prof Peter Chin

MBBS, FRACS

Urologist

Dr Elizabeth Dally

BMed, MASurg, DCH, PGDipEpid, FRACS

Paediatric Urologist

Dr Paul Kovac

MBBS, FRACS

Urologist

Dr Rahul Rindani

BSc(Med), MBBS, FRACS

Urologist

Dr Helen Nicholson

BSc(Adv), MBBS(Hons), FRACS

Urologist

Dr Minh Tran

BPharm, MBBS, MS, FRACS

Urologist

Dr Rasha Gendy

MBBS(Hons I), MS, FRACS, MIPEd(UK)

Urologist

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