Kidney

With the passage of time there are also transformations of the organs and systems that make up the urinary and genital apparatus and that are considered typical of the elderly, without being pathological.

In the changes of the genitourinary system we must distinguish between renal function, the urinary tract and the genital tract.

Renal function

The kidneys are the organs in which an important part of the "cleaning" of the blood of impurities and waste generated by metabolism takes place. In simple terms it can be said that the kidneys are made up of "filters" through which the blood is purified as it passes.

However, kidney function is much more complex, since it performs a very important job of hormonal secretion and regulation. Over time, the kidneys lose nephrons (the "filters" through which the blood circulates to cleanse itself) and renal blood flow decreases, making it more difficult for them to do their job of purifying the blood to remove waste products. and manage body fluid balance. There is also a decrease in the production of hormones secreted by the kidney and which are important for the control of the production of red blood cells and the rest of the control of the internal environment (water, mineral salts, etc.)

All these changes make renal function labile and can be easily altered by any aggression, so that the management of drugs that are eliminated by this route is more complicated.

Urinary tract

The product of blood purification through the kidneys is urine, which through ducts, the ureters, reaches a reservoir that stores it, the bladder, and from which it is eliminated through the urethra . All of these structures make up the urinary tract.

The main changes are centered in the bladder, which loses elasticity and also the muscles weaken, which makes its control more difficult, a fact that leads to problems such as urinary incontinence. These are aggravated by neurological disturbances in the control of the conscious micturition reflex.

Genital apparatus

The passage of time is felt differently in women and in men.

In the early menopause, with the suppression of the menstrual cycle and the severe decrease in female hormones (estrogens and progesterone), it produces atrophy of the reproductive organs, that is, the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes decrease in size. Likewise, the labia majora and minora of the vulva atrophy, the vagina becomes shorter and less elastic, its secretions and lubrication prior to sexual intercourse decrease, which means that intercourse can be painful and that genital and urinary infections are more frequent.

In men, although there is a decrease in the production of testosterone, the male hormone, it is never as drastic as in women. In them you can see a certain decrease in the size of the testicles, the erection is usually slower and less consistent and they have a delay in ejaculation, which is usually of smaller volume. However, the most important effect of aging on the male reproductive system is the enlargement of the prostate. Since a portion of the urethra passes through it at the outlet of the urinary bladder, urination may be difficult.