Obstructive Uropathy – What is it, Symptoms and Treatments!
What is Obstructive Uropathy: Obstructive Uropathy is when your urine cannot flow (partially or completely) through the ureter, bladder or urethra due to some type of obstruction. Instead of flowing from your kidneys to your bladder, urine flows backwards, or refluxes, into your kidneys .
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The urethra are two tubes that carry urine from each of your kidneys to your bladder. Obstructive Uropathy can cause swelling and other damage to one or both kidneys. This condition can affect men and women of any age. It can also be a problem for an unborn child during pregnancy.
Causes of Obstructive Uropathy: Obstructive Uropathy can occur due to a variety of factors. Compression can damage the kidneys and urethra. Temporary or permanent blockages in your ureter or urethra, through which urine leaves your body, can result from:
- Injuries such as a pelvic fracture .
- Tumor mass that spreads to your kidneys , bladder, uterus , or colon.
- Digestive tract diseases.
- Kidney stones stuck in your ureter.
- blood clots.
Nervous system disorders can also cause Obstructive Uropathy . This occurs when the nerves responsible for bladder control do not work properly. Using neurogenic medications to control an overactive bladder can also cause Obstructive Uropathy in some cases.
An enlarged prostate is a frequent cause of Obstructive Uropathy in men. Pregnant women may also experience reversed urine flow due to the added weight of the fetus pressing down on the bladder. However, pregnancy-induced uropathy is very rare.
Symptoms of Obstructive Uropathy : The onset of Obstructive Uropathy can be very rapid and acute, or slow and progressive. You will feel pain in your midsection on one or both sides of your body. The level and location of pain varies from person to person and depends on whether one or both kidneys are involved.
Fever, nausea and vomiting are also common symptoms of Obstructive Uropathy . You may experience swelling or tenderness in your kidneys as urine flows backwards into your organs. A change in your urinary habits could indicate a blockage in your ureters. Symptoms of Obstructive Uropathy include:
- Difficulty urinating.
- A slow flow, sometimes described as a “dribble”.
- A frequent urge to urinate, especially at night (nocturia).
- The feeling that your bladder is not empty.
- Decreased urine production .
- Blood in your urine .
You can decrease the amount of urine you pass if only one of your kidneys is blocked. Normally, both kidneys need to be blocked to impact urine production .
Treatment of Obstructive Uropathy: Removal of Obstructive Uropathy from blocked urethra is the main goal of treatment.
Surgery: A surgeon will remove Obstructive Uropathy masses , such as cancerous tumors, polyps, or scar tissue that forms in and around your ureters. Once they clear the blockage from the affected ureter, urine can flow freely into the bladder.
Stent Placement: A less intrusive form of treatment is placement of a stent in the blocked Obstructive Uropathy or kidney. A steno is a mesh tube that opens into the ureter or blocked area of the kidney. Stenting may be a solution for urethra that become narrower from scarring or other causes.
Your doctor will stent your ureter with a flexible tube called a catheter. Catheterization is usually performed using sleeping medication while you are awake. In some cases, you may be sedated for the procedure.
Treatment For Unborn Children: Your doctor may treat fetal Obstructive Uropathy in utero in some cases. Your doctor may place a shunt, or drainage system, in your unborn baby’s bladder. The shunt will drain urine into the amniotic sac.
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Treatment of fetal obstructive uropathy is usually performed only when the baby’s kidneys appear to be irreversibly damaged. Most of the time, doctors can repair blocked kidney function and ureters after the baby is born.