As a woman, going to a urologist may not be something you think can benefit you. Many women only know about urologists because of men in their lives who have prostate problems. However, you may need a urologist without even knowing it. These specialists are experts in urinary tract issues and can get to the root of a recurrent problem that your primary doctor hasn't been able to solve. Here are some conditions that you might have that can be helped by a urologist.

Chronic UTIs

Most women will at one time or another have an infection of their urinary tract. If you haven't had a so-called UTI before, some signs are:

• Pain when urinating
• Pain in the pelvic area
• Bladder spasms
• Cramping
• Fever

Generally, a family doctor or a gynecologist will prescribe antibiotics to take until the infection goes away. However, if you seem to get these infections often and they become a chronic issue for you, it might be good for you to see a urologist. They can determine if there's a more serious problem at work by looking into the bladder with a cystoscopy and doing further testing. One such problem could be interstitial cystitis, which shares many symptoms with urinary tract infections but requires slightly different treatment.

Poor Bladder Control

If you experience incontinence every now and then, you may be embarrassed but it's important to know that you aren't alone. A lot of women have some kind of incontinence for a variety of reasons. A urologist can help you track down the root cause of this problem and provide some guidance about what you can do. Many ladies learn exercises to strengthen the muscles in their pelvic floor, while others have special medical devices implanted.

Fallen Bladder

If you've just had a baby or are obese, you may have a bladder prolapse, also commonly called fallen bladder. Literally, it means that the bladder has collapsed onto the vagina.  This happens when the muscles in the area aren't very strong. Symptoms include:

• Feeling that your bladder isn't empty even after urination
• Pressure in the area
• Having to go to the bathroom often

However, at times there are no symptoms at all. If you have this condition, you may need to have surgery done to correct the situation.

Now that you've got a deeper understanding of how a urologist may help you, you may want to make an appointment with this kind of doctor. Talk to your primary care doctor about whether you need a referral to make such an appointment.

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