Also referred to as renal calculi, nephrolithiasis, or urolithiasis, kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals that form inside your kidneys. According to the National Kidney Foundation, over half a million people go to the emergency room annually due to problems with kidney stones. An estimated that one in ten...
Your urinary system (kidneys, ureter, bladder and urethra) performs some very important functions in your body. It is both an essential part of digestion (helping to process the food and drink you ingest) and a filtration system. Your body removes toxins and waste from your body through your urinary system,...
If you’ve been having problems with conceiving children, you’re far from alone. In the U.S., 1 in 8 couples (or 6.7 million people annually) deal with problems trying to have children. After a year of not being able to conceive this is referred to as infertility, and it can happen...
Your prostate gland is an important part of your reproductive anatomy and your sexual health. You may think of prostate health as a concern for middle age and onward, but it helps to get a head start on understanding healthy prostate function and how best to take care of yourself....
The Cleveland Clinic conducted a survey that found men have a difficult time seeing doctors and discussing health issues. Overall, 65% of respondents said they avoid doctor visits as long as possible, 37% said they withhold information, to avoid possible diagnosis of worse conditions, and 72% said they would rather...
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of any part of your urinary system (kidneys, ureter, bladder, prostate and urethra) and while they are more common in women, it is a myth that they’re the only ones that get them. 12% of men get UTIs, and the consequences of...
Annually, over half a million people go to the hospital for problems with kidney stones, and the National Kidney Foundation estimates that one in ten people will get a kidney stone in their lifetime. Kidney stones are known for being severely painful and interfering with urination, but the symptoms can...
Our bodies change as we get older. Men approaching middle age may become concerned with erectile dysfunction (ED). ED can have many common underlying causes, some that have a more direct result with your sexual anatomy than others. One condition that can lead to ED is Peyronie's disease (pronounced pay-roe-NEEZ),...
As men get into their 40s and 50s, many biological changes start to take place. This is partially based on your physical and dietary habits, but many are simply the result of getting older. These changes can be especially problematic in the urinary and reproductive systems, including the prostate gland....
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when you’re regularly unable to get or maintain an erection. Though the risk of ED increases as you get older, it has a number of possible causes that can affect you regardless of age. If you have type 2 diabetes, you’re at an elevated risk. Part...
Kidney stones send millions of people to the emergency room each year. The lifetime risk of kidney stones is higher in men than women, but there has been an overall increase of cases across the board over the years. While there are many factors that contribute to kidney stones, they’re...
Urinary Incontinence, the inability to control the urinary bladder, is a condition that affects many different people but is especially common among pregnant women and older people. About 13 million people nationwide have been diagnosed with incontinence, and it can come from a wide range of causes. For people dealing...
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, is a condition quite common in men as they reach their 50s. A third of men are likely to have it by then and the chances of getting it increase with age. It affects 30 million men worldwide, and 14 million men in...
Hematuria is the medical term for blood in urine. It’s fairly common and affects up to 30% of the adult population. The volume of blood in urine ranges from microscopic, meaning Blood can appear in the urine in microscopic amounts (microscopic hematuria) which would only be seen by medical instruments,...
An infection that affects any part of the urinary system (kidneys, bladder, ureter, urethra) is a type of urinary tract infection. Women are more prone to UTIs for anatomical reasons; bacteria can enter more easily and have a shorter distance to travel. However, all people, regardless of gender, are at...
10.5%, or just over 34 million people in the US population deal with diabetes, a condition that is caused by an imbalance of the body’s blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is an important source of fuel for the body’s muscles, tissues and the brain. Too much sugar in the blood will...
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men (the first being skin cancer). According to the American Cancer Society there will be close to 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer this year, and over 33,000 prostate cancer deaths. Early detection of prostate cancer can make treatment safer and...
Kidney stones are solid masses or crystals that develop in the kidney or anywhere in the urinary tract, and over half a million people end up in emergency rooms for treatment. This painful condition can be caused by different things, and the type of kidney stone someone gets will vary...
While it’s a very delicate subject, the truth is that erectile dysfunction affects millions of men, and contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a problem faced by older men. In North America, for example, this affects about 20.7-57.8% of men with the numbers increasing with age. Erectile dysfunction can...
Incontinence is the loss of bladder control, and it often results in urinating at inconvenient, if not embarrassing, times, such as before you can get to the bathroom. Incontinence affects about 33 million men and women every day. It can directly affect your ability to socialize and can cause you...
Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salt that form in your urinary tract. Though kidney stones can affect people of all ages, they’re likeliest to occur at age 30 or older, and your risk increases as you get older. Though age increases your risk of kidney stones,...
Losing control of your bladder, whether due to laughing, coughing, disease, or other issues, is never funny. It’s embarrassing and can also be a sign of a deeper problem. Our expert Urologists Craig Herman, MD and Steven C. Kester, MD at the Urology Center of Florida in Pompano Beach have...
It’s normal for both women and men to experience weaker urine streams as they get older, but it’s an issue that affects men more often, usually because of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. However, there are other causes behind the problem, medically referred to as...
You may be worrying about how many times you get up in the night to use the bathroom or that your urine stream is weak, or perhaps you leak urine throughout the day. It may be due to a common noncancerous condition that affects aging men called benign prostatic hyperplasia...
Interstitial cystitis, or bladder pain syndrome, is a condition that causes chronic pain or pressure on the bladder. The signals that normally tell your brain that your bladder is full and needs to be emptied get mixed up. This results in more frequent urges to urinate and trips to the...
If you have chronic constipation, there’s about a 50% chance it’s related to pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor dysfunction involves the muscles of your pelvic floor and your abdomen, and how they contract and relax when you have a bowel movement. The symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction can vary, and...
Attempting to pleasure a partner and not being able to do so may be one of the worst feelings in the world. It’s natural to feel embarrassed or down when you can’t achieve or maintain an erection during sex, but there’s good news: You can regain control of your sex...
The American Cancer Society predicts that nearly 175,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year in the United States, making it the most common cancer among men outside of skin cancer. Like any cancer, early detection is key, which is where prostate cancer screening comes in. At...
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a year-round concern, especially for women, who are four times as likely to develop one, but the summer presents some unique challenges. UTIs lead to 10 million doctor visits each year. As much as we like seeing our patients here at the Urology Center of...
It happened again. You sneezed or had a good chuckle and momentarily lost control of your bladder. It’s inconvenient and embarrassing, but don’t despair -- you have options. Once you learn the facts about female urinary incontinence (UI), you’ll be on the road to fewer leaks and more confidence. Female...
Millions of men over age 50 likely have some benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlargement of the prostate gland that may be related to the natural aging process. If you’re over 50, you have a 50% chance of developing BPH. If you’re over 80, your odds of having BPH climb...
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of kidney stones or you’re at risk of becoming initiated into this painful world, prevention is by far the best way to deal with the condition. By knowing your risk factors and making a few changes to your lifestyle, you can stay one step ahead...
Have you noticed your urine is pink, reddish, or discolored? A number of health issues ranging from the harmless to the more serious can be behind this symptom so it's important to get it checked out. Here at the Urology Center of Florida in Pompano Beach, Drs. Craig Herman and...