WHAT DO NEPHROLOGISTS DO?

Nephrologists generally specialize in diseases and conditions that directly affect the kidney. They can also let you know how kidney dysfunction can affect the other parts of your body. A nephrologist is required to treat more severe and complex kidney diseases.

You can see a nephrologist if you’re suffering from the following conditions:

• Blood in urine– The common medical term for this is Hematuria. There can be various medical reasons for this such as cancer, stones, infections, enlarged prostate glands, or blood disorders. There can be times when the blood can be seen through naked eyes and times when it can’t be seen at all. These are called Gross Hematuria and Microscopic Hematuria respectively.
• Protein in urine- The medical term for this is Proteinuria. Proteinuria can be short-term as well as long-term. Causes of short-term proteinuria can be stress, fever, dehydration, etc. whereas long-term proteinuria can be caused by diabetes, kidney diseases, nephrotic syndrome, genetics, etc.
• chronic kidney disease- Commonly known as CKD, is caused usually by the failure of one or both kidneys. The conditions that can cause CKD are Type 1 or 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
• kidney cancer- Caused when kidney cells become cancerous and go out of control, developing a tumor. Cancer first appears in the tubules of the kidney and eventually grows. Symptoms of kidney cancer can be hematuria, lower back pain, fatigue, loss of hunger, loss of weight, etc
• polycystic kidney disease- PKD is a genetic disease causing the development of cysts within the kidney and enlarging it, making it lose all its functions slowly overtime.
• hemolytic uremic syndrome- HUS is a serious disease that can damage the kidney when the blood vessels in the kidney become inflamed and this also causes clots in the blood vessel. HUS also causes damage to Red Blood Cells, which eventually causes kidney failure.
• Renal artery stenosis- Narrowing of the arteries of one or both the kidneys is called Renal Artery Stenosis(RAS). In such cases, the kidney doesn’t receive enough oxygen-rich blood required for processing waste products from the body.
• nephrotic syndrome- This syndrome causes too much protein to pass into the urine. Nephrotic syndrome is caused by damage to small blood vessels.

WHAT DO UROLOGISTS DO?

A Urologist deals with situations not directly related to the kidney but affecting the urinary tract and diseases that affect the reproductive system. Men also see a urologist for erectile dysfunction (ED). For the removal of cancer or blockage in the urinary tract, they also perform surgeries. Basically, a urologist can be consulted for various UTIs.

If you have the following symptoms then you must visit a urologist:

• Hematuria
• A recurring need to urinate
• Burning sensation or pain during urination
• Difficulty in urinating
• If you experience pain in your lower back, pelvis, or sides
• Urine leakage
• Weak urine flow

If you are a man and have the following symptoms, you must visit a urologist.

• Lack of sexual desires
• A lump in one of the testicles
• getting and keeping an erection

You can see a urologist if you’re suffering from the following conditions:

In men, urologists treat:

• Cancer: Urologists will treat cancer of the prostate, kidneys, penis, etc. 
• Prostatitis: Enlargement or swelling of the prostate glands due to infection or injury.
• Erectile dysfunction: The inability to get an erection or keep an erection firm for a longer period of time during sexual intercourse.
• Infertility: In both men and women, infertility is defined as being unable to be pregnant. 
• Interstitial cystitis: Severe pain in the bladder in most cases is called interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome.
• Kidney diseases: Damage in the kidneys and their inability to filter as much blood as they should.  
• Kidney stones: Hard deposit in the kidneys which is often difficult to pass.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Infection in any part of the urinary system, that is bladder, urethra, or the kidney itself.
• Varicoceles: In various cases, the veins in the scrotum enlarge due to improper functioning of valves in the veins of the scrotum. Symptoms may be low sperm or even infertility.
• Peyronie’s disease: A fibrous layer of scar tissue forms under the skin of the penis which leads to bending or curving of the organ.

In women, Urologists treat:

• Bladder prolapse: A situation where the bladder expands and sticks out into the vagina. This happens when the supportive tissue between the bladder and vaginal wall becomes weak and stretches.
• Cancer: Urologists will treat cancer of the bladder, adrenal glands, kidneys, etc.
• Urinary incontinence:  Leaking of urine by accident especially in women due to trouble with the muscles that hold the urine in the bladder.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Infection in any part of the urinary system, that is bladder, urethra, or the kidney itself.
• Other common conditions include interstitial cystitis, kidney stones, and an overactive bladder.

    DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEPHROLOGISTS AND         

                                   UROLOGIST

To summarize, Nephrologists treat diseases that are directly related to the kidney but the Urologists treat diseases related to the urinary tract and basically indirectly related to the kidneys, but such diseases can affect the kidneys very seriously. Sometimes both Nephrologists and Urologists treat a patient together and coordinate if the person has overlapping conditions.