Frequently Asked Questions

Common to both books but different in the Man’s and Woman’s Guide: anatomy of the urinary tract; blood in the urine; urinary tract infections; bladder cancer; urinary tract stones; kidney tumors; urologic emergencies.

Man’s Guide: anatomy of the reproductive tract; circumcision; vasectomy; early detection of prostate cancer/PSA; prostate cancer; scrotal problems including testes cancer; erectile dysfunction; benign prostate enlargement (BPH).

Woman’s Guide: overactive bladder, incontinence, interstitial cystitis.

This is a common problem called “nocturia” that affects both men and women. It can be as simple as not being able to empty the bladder completely, to drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol too late at night, or just a small or shrunken bladder.

Sometimes it’s not that simple. The causes and cures are addressed in the Man’s Guide in the chapter called “Can’t pee? See me.” and in the Woman’s Guide “Overactive Bladder, Incontinence.”

The simple answer is, if you’re a man, it’s because you probably have stagnant urine, or aren’t emptying your bladder. If you are a woman, it’s because your urethra is only an inch long, compared to a man’s urethra, which is about 8 inches long. Bacteria normally live around our genitalia and normally find their way into the female bladder, related to sex or hygiene, or both. If the bacteria “stick” to the bladder lining, a UTI can happen. Frequent UTIs occur because the substance that normally prevents bacteria from sticking isn’t there. This question is addressed in both books in the UTI chapters of both books.

I would advise not getting drugs like this off the internet. There can be dangers to this. It is best to get these prescriptions from your primary care clinician or a urologist. In the ED (erectile dysfunction/impotence) chapter, you will learn about very important do’s and don’ts with Viagra and similar medications.

Vasectomy is the safest and most effective form of male birth control. In the Vasectomy chapter I discuss what’s involved from planning the vasectomy, the procedure itself, and then what’s required to make sure your partner does not get pregnant.

If you are not having pain with urination or other urinary symptoms (frequent urination, getting up at night to pee, slow stream, etc.) microscopic blood in the urine may be nothing to worry about. Please check the chapter out on peeing blood for a full explanation of this common and often times harmless condition. If you can see blood in the urine, you need to see a urologist as soon as possible.

She most likely would want to see a urologist. The growth might be anything from a benign cyst to a cancerous tumor. Decisions about how these growths are diagnosed are discussed in both books, as well as how to arrive at a decision about what to do about a growth on the kidney.

This is a controversial issue. I encourage you to discuss it with your doctor regarding the pros and cons of PSA testing. However, I personally feel strongly that every male over the age of 40 should have a PSA. I explain why in the chapter called “Should I get a PSA?”

There have been significant advances and changes in the way bladder cancer is both diagnosed and treated over the past several years. Treatment choices depend on what the cancer looks like under the microscope, whether the cancer involves the muscle wall layer of the bladder, how big it is, whether there is one or more than one, and whether other organs are involved.

In A Man’s Guide there is a chapter on circumcision, and in the chapter on scrotal problems, testicular torsion, hydroceles, etc. are discussed.  In both books, pediatric problems are discussed in the chapters on UTIs. Most urologists can handle common pediatric problems. However, some problems are best addressed by a fellowship trained pediatric urologist.