What we diagnose and treat
Choose a condition to see where it happens in the body, the usual signs, and how it is investigated and treated.
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Signs
- Severe pain in the back or side, often spreading to the groin
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blood in the urine
Tests and treatment
- Many small stones pass on their own
- Ureteroscopy: a fine telescope reaches the stone and a laser breaks it up
- A temporary stent can relieve a blocked kidney
- In pregnancy, ultrasound is the first scan, and a stent can relieve a blockage
Fever or shivers with stone pain is an emergency. Go to your nearest emergency department. Signs
- Visible blood in the urine
- Burning or frequency with no infection found
Tests and treatment
- Cystoscopy: a look inside the bladder with a thin telescope
- TURBT: removing the tumour through the urethra
- Further treatment depends on the type and stage
Signs
- Fever and shivers
- Pain in the back or side
- Feeling generally unwell, sometimes with vomiting
Tests and treatment
- Urine culture and blood tests
- Prompt treatment, sometimes in hospital
- A scan to look for a stone or blockage
Fever with back pain needs same-day care. If you feel very unwell, go to your nearest emergency department. Signs
- Pain in the back or side
- Sometimes no symptoms, found on a scan
- Infection or reduced kidney function
Tests and treatment
- Ultrasound or CT scan
- A stent or a tube to relieve the blockage
- Treating the cause, such as a stone or a narrowing
Signs
- Often no symptoms
- Blood in the urine
- Pain or a lump in the side, usually later
Tests and treatment
- CT or MRI scan
- Careful monitoring for some small masses
- Removing part or all of the kidney, often by keyhole surgery
Signs
- Pink, red or cola-coloured urine
- Blood found on a routine urine test
Tests and treatment
- Urine tests
- A CT scan of the kidneys and bladder
- Flexible cystoscopy, usually under local anaesthetic
Signs
- Leaking with coughing, sneezing or laughing
- Leaking with lifting, running or jumping
- Sometimes sudden urges as well (mixed incontinence)
Tests and treatment
- Pelvic floor muscle training with a pelvic health physiotherapist
- A continence pessary and simple changes
- Surgery if needed, such as a sling, colposuspension or a bulking injection
Signs
- Sudden urges that are hard to hold
- Going more than seven times a day
- Getting up at night to pass urine
- Leaking on the way to the toilet
Tests and treatment
- A bladder diary, bladder training and pelvic floor exercises
- Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol
- Specialist treatment such as nerve stimulation or bladder procedures if these don’t help
Signs
- Pain or pressure that builds as the bladder fills
- Going often and urgently, day and night
- Pain during sex
- No infection found on urine tests
Tests and treatment
- Urine tests and a pelvic ultrasound
- Cystoscopy: a look inside the bladder with a thin telescope
- Diet changes, physiotherapy and other treatments, often combined
Signs
- Burning when passing urine
- Needing to go often or urgently
- Fever, shivers or back pain
Tests and treatment
- Urine cultures and an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder
- Checking that the bladder empties fully
- A plan to prevent further infections
Signs
- Unable to pass urine, with pain in the lower belly
- Passing small amounts often
- Feeling the bladder never empties
Tests and treatment
- A catheter to drain the bladder
- Finding the cause, such as an enlarged prostate, constipation, a medicine or a nerve problem
- Treating the cause, sometimes with surgery
Being unable to pass urine at all is an emergency. Go to your nearest emergency department. 