Question 1

What is an enlarged prostate, and what does it feel like?

Accepted Answer

The prostate gets bigger with age and can slow the flow of urine. Men describe getting up at night to urinate, a weak or stop-start stream, or a sense of not emptying. Our prostate questions page goes through it step by step, and our BPH treatment page explains the options, including UroLift. If your stream has slowed, start with a weak urine stream.

Question 2

What is overactive bladder?

Accepted Answer

Sudden, strong urges to urinate, frequent bathroom visits by day and night, and at times leaking before you get there. It is widespread, yet age alone is no reason to put up with it. An evaluation looks at your symptoms, fluid habits and medicines; a urine test and a few days of notes on drinks and bathroom visits often help show the pattern.

Question 3

What causes bladder leakage?

Accepted Answer

Leakage has different causes, and the treatment follows the cause. Urge leakage is a sudden need to go; stress leakage shows up with a sneeze, a laugh or a jog; overflow leakage is what happens when a bladder that never empties spills over. It affects women and men, and a urine test plus a few days of bladder notes at our Alpharetta / Roswell office usually start the work-up. For the tests and treatments we offer, including slings and nerve-stimulation options after earlier steps, see bladder leakage and overactive bladder care, and for stool leakage or a loss of bowel control, see bowel leakage.

Question 4

What is bowel leakage, and how is it treated?

Accepted Answer

Bowel leakage, also called accidental bowel leakage or fecal incontinence, is stool leaving the rectum when you did not intend it, from a small leak when you pass gas to a fuller loss of bowel control. Causes can include diarrhea, constipation, muscle injury after childbirth, or nerve injury related to aging, diabetes or a stroke. Our Alpharetta / Roswell office evaluates and treats this, starting with diet, bowel retraining, pelvic floor work and medicine, and InterStim sacral nerve stimulation when conservative care has not been enough. See bowel leakage and InterStim for bowel control.

Question 5

What are kidney stones, and what can they feel like?

Accepted Answer

A stone is a hard clump of minerals that settles out of the urine and builds up over time. The pain may settle in your side or back, come and go in waves, and move down toward the groin; other stones cause no pain and are found by chance. Ultrasound and lab work are on site at the Roswell office, so the first assessment can happen in the same building. Fever or chills with stone pain is a reason to go to the ER; our kidney stones page covers when to come to the office, why repeat stones get a closer look, and the procedures we offer, including lithotripsy.

Question 6

How is prostate cancer usually found?

Accepted Answer

Prostate cancer often starts with a PSA blood test. A high PSA can point to cancer, but it can also come from non-cancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate or prostatitis. Our urologists explain what your result means, and whether imaging or a biopsy is the next step.

Question 7

What is kidney cancer, and how is it treated?

Accepted Answer

Renal cancer, or kidney cancer, begins when cells inside a kidney start growing abnormally. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and family history. Our urologists diagnose and plan treatment, which is often surgical and aims to remove the cancer while preserving normal kidney tissue where possible.

Question 8

Why does blood in the urine need a urology visit?

Accepted Answer

If you notice blood in your urine, book a visit, even if it happened one time and has since cleared. Burning or pain with urination can also occur. See a urologist promptly; finding bladder cancer early can improve how treatment goes.

Question 9

When should a lump in the scrotum be checked?

Accepted Answer

A lump or mass in the scrotum should be checked without delay. Ultrasound and lab testing in the same building help the evaluation move quickly, and if cancer is suspected, timely surgery matters. Care also covers fertility questions and follow-up.

Question 10

What is a vasectomy?

Accepted Answer

A permanent form of male birth control, usually performed under local anesthesia in our surgery center. The vasectomy questions page covers the no-scalpel technique, recovery and insurance. A consult beforehand gives you time to ask questions and decide whether it fits.

Question 11

What can cause erectile dysfunction?

Accepted Answer

Trouble getting or keeping an erection may trace back to circulation, nerve signals, hormone levels or stress, and body and mind tend to amplify each other. Treating the underlying cause may help, and there are other options if medicines haven’t worked.

Question 12

What can low testosterone feel like?

Accepted Answer

Feeling worn out, running short on energy, losing interest in sex, or noticing your mood shift can all point to low testosterone. It is a frequent finding, linked with getting older, with family traits, and with health issues like diabetes, raised cholesterol or high blood pressure. Lifestyle changes are part of every plan, and our urologists will talk through whether treatment fits you.

Conditions our urologists treat in Alpharetta and Roswell.