When you can hold your breath longer than you can hold your pee, the world can become a pretty small place. Suddenly, you’re thinking twice before going on a wilderness hike. The thrill of road trips is replaced by the fear of traffic jams. And a day at the beach can become, well, no day at the beach.  This is what life is like for the 40% of women and 30% of men who experience symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB), or urge incontinence. These symptoms include the sudden and hard-to control need to pee, leakage (accidents), and waking up more than twice in the night because you have to go ..read more

By: Michael Dusing, M.D. Most of us know what to do in case of an emergency, but how well prepared are you in the case of prostate cancer? An estimated 12.9% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. The risk varies with age, race, and family history, but overall the incidence of the disease has risen by 3% a year since 2014.  Fortunately, survival rates have climbed over the years as well, thanks to advancements in treatments. Today, almost all men diagnosed with prostate cancer – 99% – can expect to recover if it’s caught before spreading to other ..read more

Despite considerable evidence supporting the use of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing as a screening tool, conflicting statements regarding the appropriateness of PSA screening have been reported recently. This has resulted in confusion among our patients and fellow physicians. The Urology Group monitors and interprets PSA guidelines that have been developed by a host of national and international expert bodies, including the American Urological Association, the Large Urology Group Practice Association and the European Association of Urology. We endorse the following guidelines and conce ..read more

Sometimes, it isn’t a headache. When it comes to desiring sex, it’s likely that other health issues – urinary conditions in particular – are preventing women from enjoying it. An estimated four in 10 women experience sexual problems at some point in their lives. The causes can range from hormone changes to infections. And the onset of symptoms can be alarmingly fast. Some women might suddenly notice a drop in their ability to be aroused. Many may experiencing sharp, physical pain. Often, these events are 100% natural. They also can be treated. Non-Sexual Health Issues Can Hinder Sex ..read more

One of the most significant groups of muscles for a man’s sexual performance can’t be admired in the mirror. These muscles are hidden, but make no mistake, they carry their weight – and then some. We’re talking about the pelvic floor muscles that support and surround your genital area. Though generally recognized as the muscles that help stop the flow of urine, they do a lot more. For men, this includes helping the penis achieve and maintain an erection, as well as prevent premature ejaculation. Which is why for the estimated 30 million men in the United States who experience erectile dys ..read more

Some Testicular Cancer Numbers Can Be Surprising Testicular cancer is not a common disease, and it has some uncommon traits when it comes to those who contract and survive the illness. First, testicular cancer tends to strike early. The average age of diagnosis is 33, so young men are strongly encouraged to self-examine once a month. Testicular cancer is 4.5 times more common in white men verses black men. The odds are in our favor: Just one in 250 men develop testicular cancer, and the overall lifetime risk of dying is just one in 5,000, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2023 ..read more

Just because something is common, it isn’t necessarily easy to live with. Ask any man after first experiencing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is common. Nearly half of all men experience symptoms of BPH by the age of 60, and it’s among the leading conditions for which men make appointments with The Urology Group.  Still, prevalence doesn’t make BPH any less concerning for each of these men as they try to manage the symptoms. To them, only one case counts – theirs. For this reason, we offer our p ..read more

Nocturia: The Causes of Frequent Nighttime Bathroom Visits By: Stephen Kappa, M.D. It’s important to get your steps in every day. But if you find you’re getting more and more of those steps in after midnight – every night – it might not be so healthy. Having to get up multiple times at night to go to the bathroom, which is called nocturia, could be a sign of a urinary health condition. It’s not the same as having to urinate more frequently during the day, if you can still sleep through the night without going to the bathroom. Nocturia – Latin for “night” – is strictly a twilight occurrence. Th ..read more

Experiencing a difficult-to-maintain erection from time to time does not necessarily indicate clinically significant erectile dysfunction (ED). Occasional ED is, however, an opportunity to rule out underlying conditions that could be hindering your performance – and pursue one of the many treatments available.  Why Erections Get in a Slump  Erectile dysfunction is the inability to sustain an erection firm enough for intercourse. It is common, affecting an estimated 30 million men in the U.S. Most commonly, it is caused by the inability to trap blood effectively in the penis. Age is ..read more

So you’ve committed to a healthier lifestyle in 2024. By all means, then, eat more fruits and vegetables and move your body often. And above all, give a hard “no” to radioactive elements. These particles are among the thousands found in tobacco, of which at least 70 are known to cause urinary cancers of the bladder and kidneys. The other chemicals include nicotine, lead, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic.  But in addition to cancer, did you know the harmful chemicals in tobacco, and even in vaping pens, also can contribute to kidney stones, incontinence, infertility, erec ..read more