Category: Bk-Bl

A blockage at the base of the bladder at the site where urine flows into the urethra to be expelled from the body. Symptoms of bladder outlet syndrome can include feelings of having a full bladder, abdominal pain, inability to urinate or frequently urinating, a slow flow of urine, problems initiating urination (urinary hesitancy), having to urinate at…

Inflammation of the urinary bladder. Also called cystitis. Can be due to infection from bacteria that ascend the urethra to the bladder or for unknown reasons, such as with interstitial cystitis. Symptoms include a frequent need to urinate, often accompanied by a burning sensation. As bladder inflammation progresses, blood may be observed in the urine and the…

Infection of the urinary bladder. Some people are at more risk for bladder and other urinary tract infections (UTIs) than others. Women are at greater risk than men. One woman in five develops a UTI during her lifetime. Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning when urinating. Underlying conditions…

A flexible plastic tube (a catheter) inserted into the bladder that remains (“dwells”) there to provide continuous urinary drainage. The principal type of indwelling bladder catheter is the “Foley” which has a balloon on the bladder end. After the Foley catheter is inserted in the bladder, the balloon is inflated (with air or fluid) so that the…

Smoking is a major risk factor. Cigarette smokers develop bladder cancer 2-3 times more often than do nonsmokers. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of bladder cancer, lung cancer, several other types of cancer, and a number of other diseases as well. Workers in some occupations are at higher risk of developing bladder cancer because of exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in the workplace. These workers include people in…

A common form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder. The most common warning sign is blood in the urine. Symptoms include pain during urination, frequent urination, and feeling the need to urinate without results. A diagnosis of bladder cancer is supported by findings in the medical history, physical examination, examination of the urine, and intravenous pyelogram (IVP). Confirmation of…

A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and produce urine, which enters the bladder through two tubes, called ureters. Urine leaves the bladder through another tube, the urethra. In women, the urethra is a short tube that opens just in front of the vagina. In…

(1821-1910) The first woman to receive a medical degree from an accredited American college. Blackwell was born in Bristol, England. Her father was a nonconformist, liberal, and abolitionist. In 1832 with her family, she immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio. Blackwell decided to become a doctor in 1844 after a family friend dying with cancer said that she would…

Blackwater fever is an uncommon but serious complication of malaria in which red blood cells are destroyed, releasing hemoglobin into the bloodstream. The hemoglobin is filtered by the kidneys and passes into the urine. The condition occurs almost exclusively with infection by Plasmodium falciparum. Signs and symptoms include high fever, chills, extreme fatigue, anemia, and dark red or black urine. Blackwater fever is most common in…

A familiar term for what is medically called an open comedo. A comedo, the primary sign of acne, consists of a widened hair follicle filled with skin debris, bacteria, and oil called sebum. A blackhead has a wide opening to the skin and is capped with a blackened mass of skin debris. In contrast, a closed comedo, commonly called…