Some of the most common diseases of the excretory and urinary system are nephritis, nephrosis, kidney stones, hepatitis, anhidrosis or prostatitis. The excretory system is the body's system that is responsible for expelling all the waste that it produces from the human body. This process is done through the urinary system, lungs, liver, and skin.
The urinary system, also known as the renal system, is the part of the excretory system responsible for the production, storage, and elimination of urine. The urinary system is made up of two kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and a urethra that does the job of storing and later expelling all liquid waste products from the body.
The correct operation of these two systems is essential considering that the expulsion of waste depends on it. Therefore, when any of its organs or functions fail, the consequences affect the entire organism.
Most common diseases of the urinary and excretory system
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of one or both kidneys. It is caused by the inflammation of different kidney tissues such as the glomerulus, tubules or the interstitial tissue that surrounds these organs.
It is usually associated with different kinds of autoimmune diseases. In fact, lupus nephritis is a potentially serious condition in itself.
This is because in it the body's autoimmune system attacks the tissues of the organs and cells of the body, causing pain and permanent damage in different parts of the body.
Its symptoms can be characterized by foul-smelling urine, pain in the lower abdomen, and blood in the urine.
It is usually treated with antibiotics but in those cases in which the disease is caused by lupus, steroids can also be used.
Nephrosis
Nephrosis or nephrotic syndrome is the inflammation of the nephrons, that is, the basic unit of structure and function of the kidneys. There are mild and not very symptomatic nephroses, but in some cases they can become complex and destroy the kidneys completely.
It is caused by membranous nephropathy, immune system disorders, genetic problems, kidney malfunction, adverse drug reactions, or infections such as hepatitis, mononucleosis, or strep throat.
This disease has swelling, protein in the blood, high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Symptoms include swelling of the face, abdomen, arm, and legs, foamy urine, weight gain associated with fluid retention, and loss of appetite.
Treatment of nephrosis consists of attacking the disorders that cause it. Likewise, it is necessary to change the patient's diet, therefore, cholesterol and triglyceride levels are controlled.
Kidney stones
Kidney stones are calcium deposits that can be seen in the nephrons. These usually vary in size and can also go down into the urinary tract causing extreme pain. On the other hand, they can also become infected causing greater complications.
The main cause of this disease is the change in the levels of salts and minerals present in the urine. This can cause clotting and increase the size of the stones. However, it can also be a hereditary condition.
Its main symptoms are vomiting, nausea, painful urination, frequent urination, fever, chills, foul-smelling urine, presence of blood in the urine, and severe pain in the back.
Treatment of kidney stones consists mainly of consuming large amounts of fluids to expel them through the urine.
On the other hand, this mechanism is usually accompanied by analgesics to relieve pain in the patient.
Reflux vesicoureteral
Vesicoureteral reflux occurs when urine flows from the bladder into the ureters. This is a disease that occurs more frequently in children and with advancing age, it decreases.
The cause of this condition is the defective valve between the ureters and the bladder, a defect that can be present before birth. However, it is also caused by a blocked or malfunctioning urinary system.
Its main symptoms are: pain and burning sensation when urinating, pain in the abdomen, increased frequency of urination, small amounts of urine and fever.
Treatment for this disease varies according to its origin. When it is caused by valve failure, it is repaired with surgery. In those cases where the cause is urinary tract infection, it can be effectively treated with medication.
Cystitis
Cystitis refers to inflammation of the bladder. Most of the time this is caused by a bacterial infection and is considered a urinary tract infection.
However, it can also occur from an adverse drug reaction, continued use of the catheter for the treatment of other diseases, other underlying diseases, or as a consequence of radiation therapy.
Its main symptoms are difficulty urinating, foul-smelling urine, abdominal pain, cloudy urine and blood in the urine.
Treatment of this disease usually consists of antibiotics to attack the bacteria that cause the infection.
However, the other causes that caused the inflammation should also be eliminated, if any.
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer occurs when cells in the bladder grow uncontrollably into a tumor.
The causes of cancer are not clear, however, a number of factors can be cited that increase the risk of developing it at some point. These include: smoking, radiation, parasitic infection, and exposure to carcinogens.
Its symptoms consist of: painful urination, back pain, pain in the pelvic region, frequent need to urinate without the presence of urine, frequent urination and blood in the urine.
The treatment of bladder cancer is similar to that of other cancers that occur in different parts of the body.
It includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgeries. This sequence is determined on a case-by-case basis and there is no standard treatment applicable to all patients.
Ureteritis
Ureteritis is inflammation of the urethra, the tubes that carry urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
Being a part of the body so exposed to external elements, the possibility of infection is greater than that of other organs of the system.
The cause of this infection is usually associated with sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia.
Its main symptoms are usually very acute pain when urinating, itching in the genitals, pain even without urinating, difficulty in starting urination, frequent need to urinate, blood in the urine or semen, and pain during sexual intercourse.
Treatment of ureteritis is primarily antibiotic. However, the exact microorganism that causes each disease is unknown, therefore a broad spectrum of antibiotics is used for treatment.
Urethral stricture
Urethral stricture is the narrowing of the urethra caused by scarring within it. This phenomenon blocks the passage of urine to the outside and occurs more frequently in women than in men.
This disease can be caused by urinary tract infection and pelvic fracture injuries.
Its main symptoms are pain when urinating, reduced urine flow, retention of urine in the bladder, the need for more time to urinate, the feeling of never emptying the bladder, and blood in the urine.
The treatment of stenosis consists of a process of cutting and elimination through a laser. In severe cases, it is usually necessary to do a reconstruction of the affected area, while in mild cases the area heals naturally.
Uremia
Uremia consists of the accumulation of toxic substances in the bloodstream as a result of the lack of a kidney that performs the function of processing and expelling waste through the urine.
Therefore, this disease can be caused by any condition that decreases kidney function. This is the case of medical conditions such as bright disease, chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
On the other hand, it can also be caused by diseases that make it difficult to expel the urine. For example, urinary stones or enlarged prostate glands can be the cause of uremia.
The main symptoms of uremia are fatigue and loss of mental concentration. In addition, itching, muscle spasms, dry, yellowish and flaky skin may occur. The mouth has a metallic taste and the breath has a distinctive odor.
In the most severe stages of uremia, the accumulation of waste products within the bloodstream and in the tissues can cause a wide range of effects.
These include edema, hypertension, seizures, heart failure, and even death.
The treatment of this disease is based on the identification and elimination of the disease or the underlying cause that produces it.
In the case of patients who are waiting for a kidney transplant, it is fought through the application of dialysis.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. There are four different types of prostatitis: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic prostatitis, and asymptomatic prostatitis.
Each of these conditions has different causes and symptoms. Acute bacterial prostatitis is caused by bacteria while chronic bacterial prostatitis can be caused by different infections.
For its part, chronic prostatitis shares many of the symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis, however, it is not caused by bacteria.
Finally, asymptomatic prostatitis is characterized precisely by having no symptoms and can only be detected through a blood test.
The symptoms of all prostatitis differ from each other, however there are some that are more common: pain when urinating, pain when ejaculating, back pain, rectal pain and blood in the semen are some of them.
Anhidrosis
Anhidrosis or hypohidrosis occurs when the human body cannot sweat normally, therefore it cannot expel its toxins normally.
When the body does not perspire, it cannot regulate its temperature and this can lead to heatstroke that can eventually be fatal.
Its causes can be very diverse. These include some skin lesions, certain diseases such as diabetes or adverse reactions to some medications. For this reason, it is often difficult to diagnose it and identify what causes it.
Anhidrosis has symptoms such as dizziness, muscle cramps, weakness, redness, and a feeling of heat.
On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account that the lack of perspiration can occur in an isolated way in a single area of the body or in a generalized way.
When anhidrosis affects only one area of the body it should not be a cause for concern. In these cases, toxins are usually evacuated through sweat from other areas, which allows temperature regulation to occur almost normally.
However, when there is generalized anhidrosis, it can be life-threatening. In these cases, treatment consists of detecting and attacking the cause of the disease.
However, external resources are also often used to lower body temperature.
Hepatitis
The liver is an organ that plays a fundamental role in the processing of toxins within the body. For this reason, although it is not properly an excretory organ, it is considered a key part of this system.
Hepatitis consists of inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection.
However, on other occasions it can also be caused by congenital conditions, reactions to medications, or excessive consumption of certain substances such as alcohol.
Symptoms of hepatitis include general malaise, tiredness, lack of concentration, fever of up to 39º, muscle pain, headache and digestive symptoms such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
As the disease progresses, symptoms appear that account for the failure of toxin processing.
For example, jaundice may occur, consisting of yellowish pigmentation of the skin and mucosa, as well as dark-colored urine and stools.
References
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (SF). Cystitis. Recovered from: mayoclinic.org
- Med-Health. (SF). Diseases of Excretory System. Recovered from: med-health.net
- The editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2015). Uremia. Recovered from: britannica.com
- Web MD. (SF). What is Prostatitis? Recovered from: webmd.com
- Zimmermann, A. (2016). Urinary System: Facts, Functions & Diseases. Recovered from: livescience.com.