When should you see a urologist?
Blood in the urine, difficulty passing urine, repeated pain or a sudden change in urinary habits should never be ignored. Learn the signs that call for an examination.
Many urinary problems begin with mild symptoms that people ignore, while early diagnosis makes treatment easier and more successful. These are the main signs that call for a visit to a urologist:
- Blood in the urine, even if it happened once and was painless. This always needs assessment to find the cause.
- Pain in the flank, lower back or lower abdomen, especially if it is severe and comes in waves.
- Burning or pain when passing urine, or repeated urinary infections.
- A weak or interrupted stream, needing to strain, or a feeling that the bladder does not empty fully.
- Frequent urination, especially at night, a sudden urgent need, or leakage of urine.
- Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle or scrotum.
- Male health problems such as erectile difficulty or delayed fertility.
- In children: an undescended testicle, repeated urinary infections, visible abnormalities of the urinary or genital tract, or toilet training that is later than expected.
What to expect at the first visit? The doctor listens to your complaint and history, examines you, and may request a urine test, an ultrasound scan, kidney function tests or an imaging study suited to your case. Then he explains the diagnosis and the treatment options.
Tips before the visit:
- Write down your symptoms, when they started and what makes them better or worse.
- Bring any previous tests, scans or reports.
- Bring a list of the medicines you currently take.
Go to the emergency department at once if: you cannot pass urine at all, you have sudden severe testicular pain (it may be testicular torsion, which needs treatment within hours), kidney pain with a high temperature, or heavy bleeding in the urine.
This is general health information. It does not replace seeing a doctor and having your own condition assessed.
