The urinary system consists of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Its function is essentially to filter the blood to eliminate toxins and metabolic residues through the urine, maintaining homeostasis, which is the internal balance of the organism and that favors the proper functioning of the organs.
The kidneys filter all blood from the body in a few minutes, which is a continuous process. Blood reaches the kidney through the abdominal aorta, which branches and forms the renal arteries, and the inferior vena cava also divides and forms the vein of the renal cave.
The main features of each part of this system are
The difference between the male and female urinary system is that in men, the urethra has dual function, urine and semen. The male urethra is divided into: prostate (3-4 cm), membrane (1-2 cm) and penis (about 15 cm).
The female urethra is different from the male urethra because it only removes urine from the body. It ends near the external environment and is more likely to be contaminated with microorganisms within the vagina and region, making urinary tract infection more common in women.
The main function of the urinary system is to filter the blood, in order to maintain the hydroelectrolytic balance, keeping in ideal amounts water and electrolytes, such as sodium, chloride, potassium and others. However, this system is also responsible for maintaining blood pH and maintaining blood pressure, as it regulates the amount of water in the blood.
The most common diseases of the urinary system are
It occurs when microorganisms in the external environment enter the urethra and reach the bladder, causing symptoms such as pain and burning when urinating. Treatment is done with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, but when not done at the beginning of symptoms, microorganisms continue to proliferate and increase, reaching your kidneys and ureters. Learn how to identify and treat urinary tract infections.
It is then that microorganisms reach the kidneys causing symptoms such as weakness, back pain, high fever with chills and drops of blood in the urine. Treatment is done with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Here’s how to identify nephritis.
This occurs when the kidneys do not properly filter the blood, with complications such as heartburn and increased blood pressure. This situation should be reversed as soon as possible, as this is a serious situation that can be life-threatening.
In some cases it is possible to cure with medications, however, in more severe cases, your doctor may indicate that blood is filtered through a hemodialysis machine, every day or 2-3 times a week. When treatment is not done correctly or when there is no body response to treatment indicated by your doctor, the disease may become chronic. Learn how to identify and treat kidney failure.