The most important thing you can do to protect your bladder
Your bladder probably is not your favourite topic of conversation but knowing when to talk to your doctor about it is crucial to your health.
If you experience frequent and/or painful urination, or you notice blood in your urine, telling your primary care provider is the first step to diagnosing a problem and finding the right care.
More often than not, these symptoms are caused by non-life-threatening conditions like urinary tract infection, overactive bladder or, in men, an enlarged prostate. But they also could be symptoms of bladder cancer.
While it’s worth addressing any condition that’s causing you pain or discomfort, in the case of bladder cancer, early diagnosis is key.
As with many cancers, bladder cancer is most treatable when it’s caught in the early stages and more challenging to treat when diagnosed later.
“Because there is no routine screening for bladder cancer, as there is for breast or colon cancer, the number one tool we have for diagnosing bladder cancer early is when a primary care doctor orders a urine test that finds blood in the urine,” says Dr Edward Cherullo a urologist at Rush University. “Always tell your doctor if you see blood in your urine.”
Your doctor may then refer you to a urologist for further testing and treatment.
Who is at risk for bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is more than three times as common in men as in women, and it occurs later in life: 90 per cent of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer are over the age of 55.
Though people who have a sibling, parent or child with bladder cancer are more likely to have it, it is rarely hereditary.
The good news is that the most common risk factor is one that can be controlled: smoking.
“Everyone knows smoking causes lung cancer, but they don’t always know about bladder cancer,” says Dr Srinivas Vourganti a Rush University urologist who specialises in treating bladder and other urinary tract cancers.
In fact, smokers are three times more likely to get bladder cancer than non-smokers.
“The same harmful chemicals you inhale when you smoke accumulate in your urine, and as the bladder holds urine, it is exposed to these toxins at a higher rate than other parts of the body,” Dr Vourganti says.
For similar reasons, exposure to second-hand smoke and toxic solvents and dyes also are significant risk factors. So are recurring urinary tract infections and other sources of chronic bladder irritation.
Yet, smoking is cited as the cause in more than half of all cases, so quitting smoking (or never starting) greatly reduces your chance of developing bladder cancer.
Have you ever noticed blood in your urine? Have you had it checked?
Current cigarette smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer than previously reported, according to new research. Studies found that the proportion of bladder cancer due to smoking in women is now the same as for men — about 50%.
Many people don’t realize that smoking tobacco is the single most important known risk factor for bladder cancer.
The effects of cigarette smoke toxins entering your body have received a lot of attention, but far too little attention has been given to how those toxins make their way out.
“These carcinogens leave the body through the urinary tract,” says urologist Robert Abouassaly, MD.
Read on ….
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/surprising-link-smoking-and-bladder-cancer-2/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/smoking-bladder-cancer
There is a plethora of information on this subject....all you have to do is let your fingers do the walking on the keyboard and find out for yourself ..instead of knocking those who bring important information to your notice.
More crap blame on smoking.
If smoking was such a issue than Marijuana or synthatic marijuana (Weed, Cannabis) would not have been legalised in countries such as USA.
The bladder is connected to the kidneys by two long tubes called ureters. When urine is produced by the kidneys, it travels down the ureters to the bladder, where it is stored.
We've all heard that cranberries and cranberry juice are great for bladder health – don't forget about the other tasty fruits and fruit juices that also help to improve bladder function. Apples, bananas, berries (strawberries, blueberries) and pears are all healthy, filling snacks that are also high in fiber,
I'd be more concerned about impurities in drinking water coming out of kitchen tap causing danage to the bladder than smoking.