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Kegels

The Kegels exercises are one of the most common treatments for stress urinary incontinence. Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles were originally described by Kegel in 1948. Such exercises, which are now known as Kegel exercises, can be used to regain bladder control, especially if the levator ani (pelvic floor muscle) and/or sphincter muscles have been weakened by childbirth or other factors. To identify these muscles, you can perform a contraction (muscle squeeze) to stop the flow of urine in midstream. If the urine flow stops, you've located the correct muscles. The next step is to repeat the exercise frequently throughout the day. Programs of 10 Kegels (for 30 seconds each) every hour, or twice-daily Kegels (4 seconds each for 5 minutes) have proven effective. The benefits of Kegel exercises are not immediate, so you should continue the program for at least 8 to 12 weeks before expecting to experience any results. After you identify the muscles, Kegels should not be performed during voiding, since urine could be retained. In women, weighted vaginal cones sometimes are used to help patients find the proper muscles to squeeze during Kegel exercise. When the cone is held in place, the exercise is being performed correctly. Weighted cones should be worn for 15 minutes twice daily while walking or standing. Kegel exercises improve the urethral support and closure mechanisms, particularly during activities such as coughing or bending. Therefore, Kegel exercises are notably helpful for stress incontinence due to the effects of pregnancy in women or Prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) in men.

  
Kidney

One of a pair of organs located at the back of the abdominal cavity. Kidneys make urine through blood filtration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kidney Quicklinks
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Kidney anatomy
 
Kidney Cancer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Kidney Cancer
Kidney Stone

A hard mass composed of substances from the urine that form in the kidneys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Kidney Stones
Nephrolithiasis Illustration
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Klinefelter's Syndrome

Perhaps the best known of the genetic disorders that cause infertility in men. It is found in roughly 1 out of every 500 live births and often is not diagnosed before puberty. Patients with this condition have an extra "X" chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes in humans. Normal women have two X chromosomes (XX), whereas normal men have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome (XY). This produces the genetic signature "XXY" and represents a total of 47 chromosomes within each bodily cell (the usual number is 46). Klinefelter's syndrome causes testicular failure due to sclerosis (hardening) of the seminiferous tubules within the testes (see also Anatomy & Physiology). ). In some individuals with Klinefelter's syndrome, genetic patterns variant (karyotypes) such as "XXYY," "XXXY," or "XXXXY" have been detected. Skeletal abnormalities are more common among men with multiple X chromosomes. Patients with chromosomal "mosaics" (XXY/XY) have a less severe form of Klinefelter's syndrome and may be fertile, since a normal ("XY") group of sperm-producing seminiferous tubules may exist within the testes.
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Overview
Male Infertility Facts
Aging & the Male Reproductive System