Urinary bladder

                                                Urinary Bladder                                                                                         The bladder is a sac located in the pelvic part just behind the pelvic bone, muscular in nature and extremely useful top the human body in holding urine and due to its muscularity, it contracts and expands rhythmically. The action of expanding allows urine collection and storage while the action of contracting allows the expulsion of urine through the urethra.                                                                                                         It works by collecting urine when it leaves the kidneys and is lodged into the bladder. Then it alerts the nervous system to relax the muscles around the bladder, and once they contract, urine is released.                                                                                                                                                     The normal holding capacity of the bladder is o.4 to 0.6 L and the urine that is expelled passes through the penis by the use of the urethra.                                                                                                           The urinary bladder has three layers which are the following:

·        The detrusor muscles.

·        The sub mucosa layer.

·        The mucosa layer.

There are a number of infections that affect the bladder due to some complications such as inflammation of the bladder caused by a certain variety of bacteria.

Tests                                                                                                                                                         Important tests can be done to determine the condition of the bladder which includes:

·        Urinalysis, which is the primary test performed routinely on urine to ascertain any bladder or kidney defects. If there is any indication of problems with the urine, the urine is checked through a microscope to explain what cells have infections.

·        Cystoscopy, which is primarily where there is an application of a narrow tube that is passed to the urinary bladder through the urethra. It contains a camera, light and other tools which will be useful in diagnosing where the problem is.

·        Urodynamic testing which involves a series of urination tests usually done through a doctor’s observation. The patient urinates and the doctor checks the characteristics of the urine such as urine flow, bladder capacity, pressure and other pivotal measurements which is helpful in identifying any bladder defects.

Bladder conditions                                                                                                                            Some of the common urinary bladder conditions include the following:

·        Urinary stones which form in kidney and lodge in the bladder, thus may block urine.

·        Cystitis, which is the bladder inflammation that causes discomfort and chronic pain.

·        Urinary incontinence, which is chronic urination that is involuntary.

·        Bladder cancer, which is characterized by tumor growth in the bladder.

·        Overactive bladder, where there is involuntary bladder contractions causing urine leakage.

Other defects include urinary retention, hematuna, cystocele, nocturnal enuresis and dysuria.

Treatments                                                                                                                                                                         Treatment includes:

·        Cystoscopy.

·        Surgery.

·        Kegel exercises.

·        Anti-spasms medications.

·        Bladder catheterization.