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Kidney and urinary tract disorders can affect one or both kidneys, one or both ureters, the bladder, or the urethra.
Some urinary tract disorders rarely cause symptoms until the problem is very advanced. These include kidney failure, tumors and stones that do not block urine flow, and some low-grade infections. Sometimes, symptoms occur but are very general and difficult for the doctor to connect to the kidney. For example, a general feeling of illness (malaise), loss of appetite, nausea, or generalized itching may be the only symptoms of chronic kidney failure. In older people, mental confusion may be the first recognized symptom of infection or kidney failure. Symptoms that are more suggestive of a kidney or urinary problem include pain in the side (flank), swelling of the lower extremities, and problems with urination.
Incontinence is an uncontrollable loss of urine, which can have a variety of causes (see Urinary Incontinence).
Last full review/revision March 2007 by Ralph E. Cutler, MD
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