Urology Group of Athens

Stay Healthy & Be Well Health & Wellness News That You Can Use

This is a new quarterly

newsletter for Urology Group of

Athens patients and friends alike to stay

up-to-date on urinary issues,

health and wellness.

“The Jagged Background of Kidney Stones”

“Get-to-Know Dr. Schwender”

“How Often Does A Healthy Person

Urinate?”

“Good For You Summer Coolers”

“ What is BPH And How Is A Person Diagnosed”

“The Jagged Background Of Kidney Stones”

A kidney stone is actually comprised of small, calcium crystals that develop within the kidneys.

Kidney stones are one of the most common urinary conditions experienced by a significant number of individuals – old and young. While male and female can produce kidney stones, more than 80% of patients with kidney stones are men.

A kidney stone is actually comprised of small, calcium crystals that develop within the kidneys. Minerals like calcium, oxalate and uric acid can crystallize. The crystals can then join together and form a kidney stone.

The stone of crystals usually causes little pain until it falls into the tube that drains the kidney into the bladder. If a kidney stone is large enough, it can block the flow and prevent urine from draining out of the bladder.

What magnifies the pain is that kidney stones are very rarely smooth, but instead comprised of sharp and pointed edges. As a result, a kidney stone blocking the urinary track or tube can result in extreme pain.

Kidney stones may occur when the normal balance of water, salts, minerals and other substances found in urine changes.

Initially the stone may cause pain on the side of your body between your rib cage and hips or back with pain radiating to the groin. A person could also experience nausea or vomiting, progressing into painful urination.

Not drinking enough water can result in the formation of a kidney stone. When you don’t drink enough water, the salts, minerals and other substances in the urine can stick together and form a stone. The average adult needs to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.

Potassium is an important mineral that helps to decrease the amount of calcium in the urine. So eating more fresh fruits and vegetables increases your potassium intake helps reduce the risk of kidney stones to form.

If you have had kidney stones in the past that are linked to a high amount of calcium in your urine, you might consider limiting your daily sodium intake. This will also help keep blood pressure down and have a healthier heart.

Conditions like gout, urinary tract infections, and inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease can lead to the formation of a kidney stone.

Finally, just getting up from the desk chair and the couch and taking a walk can help as well. Being sedentary with limited activity can cause the bones to release more calcium that, in turn, can trigger the production of calcium crystals.

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Graduate of Emory and The Medical College of Georgia

Residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Medical Center in New Hampshire

Expertise in Precision Lasers and Robotic Surgery

“Get To Know Dr. Catherine Schwender”

“I work with patients across a wide span of age,” notes Dr. Schwender, “Many think that urology conditions occur more among older adults, but younger men and women experience issues as early as their late-teens through their child-bearing years.”

Dr. Catherine Schwender joined up with Dr. Tom Oliver and Dr. John Blankenship more than four years ago and brings a unique approach to the practice with her strong passion to blend together health and wellness management with technology.

Born in Stone Mountain and having completed undergraduate study at Emory University, Dr. Schwender went on to secure a Medical Doctorate degree from the Medical College of Georgia that is known today as Georgia Regents University in Augusta. She did her residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center located in the heart of the Upper Connecticut River Valley in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

“My father is a urologist and that played a large role in how I chose my profession,” according to Dr. Schwender. “I saw how he cares for the full scope of the individual and it inspired me to pursue a mission in working with the whole person in managing and overcoming urology-related challenges.”

Dr. Schwender, along with the other physicians at Urology Group of Athens, sits on the forefront of new techniques that continue to advance the innovation of minimally invasive treatment and procedures and the use of precision lasers and robotic surgery systems.

In addition to working with patients at the Athens Urology Group of Athens office, Dr. Schwender also works with patients at the new Bethlehem office located on Georgia state highway 316 that now services both Barrow and Walton County. To balance the high time and need demands of serving patients, Dr. Schwender does find time to enjoy time enjoying time at home located out in the scenic farmland of Oconee County.

“A number of my patients live outside the city of Athens and I can totally understand why being able to be healthy and mobile is of value. After a long day and night’s worth of patient service, I do enjoy the opportunity to simply sit back on my porch and take time to simply enjoy the quiet of the country.” To learn more about Dr. Schwender, watch her video about her fulfilling a calling at www.urologygroupofathens.com/our-team/.

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“How Often Does A Healthy Person Urinate?” The capacity of the bladder is between one to two cups or 8-16 ounces. That’s not a lot of space! In general, most adults urinate about once every two to four hours a day when awake for a total of about six to eight times in an average 24-hour period.

However, the frequency of urinating can depend on many factors such as the amount of fluid a person drinks, body size, hydration level, fluid losses from exercise or increased activity, medical conditions like diabetes and medications.

Frequency to “go” more often is found to affect women more than men. In general about twice as many women as men are affected.

However, the ratio affected by gender does change as we age. Men often to experience issues more as they get older. By age 60, about 20 percent of men experience problems with urinating and by age 85 nearly a third voice issues.

Mannekin Pis is a famous

Brussels Belgian Landmark fountain that premiered on the town square in the

early 1600s

“Good For You Summer Coolers”

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Not only is cranberry juice good for your urinary track, but cranberry juice can be very refreshing in the midst of Georgia summer heat!

Sparkling Cranberry Punch is a classic Southern Cooler where you simply mix together the tree ingredients below and top with either a slice of lime or fresh sprig of mint: 2 quarts fresh chilled cranberry juice 1-6 ounce frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 quart sparkling water, chilled

Martha Stewart’s Summer Citrus Drink that combines together cranberries with other citrus fun: 2 small grapefruits 2 oranges 2 tangerines 1 quart fresh cranberry juice ½ lime 1 can club soda Use a citrus presser or juicer to juice the grapefruits, oranges and tangerines. Divide the juice among 4 glasses with a couple of ice cubes, add in the fresh cranberry juice and top off with a nice splash of club soda and twist of lime.

And a good patriotic salute, Martha Stewart also offers a Cranberry Sparkler A pint of blackberries pureed in a food processor with the juice separated from the solids using a mesh screener Fresh cranberry juice Sparkling water Sprig of mint Place a spoonful of the blackberry puree in a Champaign fluted glass, add about 2 ounces of the cranberry juice and top off with the sparking water and sprig of mint… cheers!


BPH is a condition of an enlarged prostate that is common in men after the age of 50

3 out of every 4 men in their 70s have urinary symptoms that are caused by enlarged prostates

BPH is NOT prostate cancer and having BPH doesn’t mean a man is more or less likely to get prostate cancer.

BPH affects the inner part of the prostate first that encircles around the urethra or plumbing that channels urine out of the body. As the prostate grows, it may begin to squeeze part of that plumbing and restrict the flow of urine.

The chances of developing BPH affect men as they age with more than half of men over age 50 to have BPH. Symptoms include a weak urine flow and a feeling of being unable to empty the bladder completely or the need to urinate frequently, especially at night.

“BPH measurement” is a term often used in connection with a blood test to check the levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) in a patient’s blood. PSA is a specific substance produced by the cells of tissue surrounding the prostate. Individuals with an enlarged prostate gland produce larger amounts of PSA.

PSA levels can also glean insight into the size and weight of the prostate. While BPH is not a form of cancer, the PSA blood test can also allows doctors to check for prostate cancer, which can cause symptoms similar to those of an enlarged prostate.

Doctors will want to know about other health problems you may have and what medications you are taking as well as a history of prostate issues in your family. You may also be asked to complete a questionnaire that will ask you about behavioral issues.

Doctors might also check the size and the firmness of the prostate manually with a digital rectal exam as well as using a urinalysis to check for a urinary tract infection that might also cause similar symptoms.

Close collaboration between your primary care doctor and urologist offers the key to the successful management of BPH.

The next issue of Stay Healthy & Be Well will be issued in September For more information on the different topics addressed in the newsletter,

we encourage you to check out Patient Resources available on www.urologygroupofathens.com

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Check out the next issue of

Stay Healthy & Be Well

In September 2014

“What Is BPH?” “How Is It Diagnosed?”

BPH stands for Benign Prostatic Hyerplasia, or in laymen terms, an enlarged prostate gland. The prostate gland is a walnut size organ located right below the bladder that controls the flow of urine and sperm. An enlarged prostate gland is a non-cancerous growth of prostate tissue.

Health & Medicine

Urology Group of Athens