How to Diagnose Urinary Reflux

Urinary reflux means urine backs up into the kidneys from the ureter, which transports urine into the bladder to be excreted. When it occurs in children, called primary vesicoureteral reflux, it's because of a developmental abnormality. This might get better with age or it might require ongoing treatment. Secondary vesicoureteral reflux happens when the ureter swells up, perhaps because of blockage or an infection. Here's how the condition is diagnosed.

Instructions

• 1

  Assess if there's a risk for urinary reflux in your family. Screen for the disease if you or your spouse suffered from it. Research shows about 34% of patients with vesicoureteral reflux had a sibling with the condition.

• 2

  Ask your doctor to examine the prenatal ultrasound carefully if there's a risk for the disease. The ultrasound can show if your baby's ureter is too short and likely to cause urinary reflux.

• 3

  Note if you get frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Urinary reflux can cause a UTI or a UTI can cause the ureter to swell, which can cause vesicoureteral reflux. Either way, it's the most common outward symptom of the disease.

• 4

  Get an x-ray of the bladder. This is called a cystogram. A contrast dye is inserted into the bladder and you're asked to urinate. The x-ray can show if there's any dye left, which would occur with urinary reflux.

• 5

  Check into a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG). This is a common test for vesicoureteral reflux. Similar to the cystogram, instead of urinating in the bathroom, you do it into a special container and the x-ray tracks the behavior of your bladder during urination.

• 6

  Look into a bladder ultrasound if you suspect that's the organ that's having a problem. It tests how well you empty your bladder after urination and measures how much urine remains.

• 7

  Consider an ultrasound of your kidneys. Hydronephrosis, enlargement of the ureter and kidney, can lead to serious complications. Scarring and damage may also play a part in urinary reflux.