1. 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.
1

2. Stay Healthy & Be Well
Health
&
Wellness
News
That
You
Can
Use
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/.
2

3. Stay Healthy & Be Well
Health
&
Wellness
News
That
You
Can
Use
“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”
3
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!

4. Stay Healthy & Be Well
Health
&
Wellness
News
That
You
Can
Use
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
4
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.