Voiding dysfunction and prostate cancer rank up there with the most common urinary issues for men, but erectile dysfunction and kidney stones are a problem, too.

Dr. Shawn Mendonca, a urologist with Lehigh Valley Health Network, said comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes are often behind problems like erectile dysfunction. These health problems can affect the blood flow to the penis or effect the nerves that go to the penis. This can cause erectile dysfunction in men as young as their 40s and 50s.

There are many treatment options available, such as penile injections and Viagra.

“You don’t have to live like this,” he said. “A lot of it is quality of life. Patients don’t need to have perfect urination to survive. They don’t need to be sexually active to survive. But if it’s inhibiting their quality of life, we’re happy to help.”

As for painful kidney stones, they affect both men and women, but more so for men. Mendonca said there are many causes, such as hereditary. But it can also be how a person metabolizes food and water. Often though, it’s due to dehydration.

“People need to be drinking more water,” Mendonca said.

Adults should be drinking six to eight cups (48 ounces to 64 ounces) of water every day.

“If everyone who can drink water does, you’ll see a dramatic decrease in kidney stones,” he said.