Male Urology Problems

While men and women can share many kinds of urological problems – kidney stones and urinary tract infections, for example – some disorders are unique to males.

The most notable, no doubt, are diseases and conditions related to the prostate. As part of a man’s sex organs, the prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that surrounds the urethra. Its job is to add fluid to the semen during ejaculation.

For younger men (under the age of 50), the most common prostate problem is prostatitis, which is inflammation of the prostate.
For men older than 50, the most common prostate problem is prostate enlargement. This condition is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.

The prostate gland can also play a role in incontinence or urinary control problems, a factor that obviously does not affect control problems in women.

As a man ages, his prostate keeps growing and squeezes the urethra. Since urine travels from the bladder through the urethra, the pressure from the enlarged prostate may affect bladder control.  But urine leakage, frequent urination, or the urgent need to urinate doesn’t have to be unavoidable parts of aging. Bladder control problems can be treated.

To learn more about male urological conditions and treatments, please use the links at the top and side of this page to navigate to more detailed information.