Everything you need to know about Kidney Stones!
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a urologist or nephrologist. Sometimes, stones will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, creating a block in the flow and causing severe pain. The alternative name is renal calculi, and it forms masses made of crystals. Surgeons found kidney stones in the kidney, and nephrosurgeons treated them. Kidney stones are among the most intense medical diseases. Kidney stone causes differ depending on the type of stone.
What are the types of kidney stones?
The crystals that make kidney stones are not all the same. Doctors note that the different types of kidney stones include:
The most frequent are calcium stones. They are frequently composed of calcium oxalate. , You lower your risk of developing this kind of stone by consuming fewer oxalate-rich meals.
However, even though some kidney stones are made of calcium, getting enough calcium in your diet can prevent stones from forming.
- Kidney stone formation from uric acid
This type of kidney stone is more common in men than in women. They can occur in people with gout or those going through chemotherapy. This type of stone develops when urine is too acidic. A diet rich in purines can increase urine’s acidic level. Purine is a colourless substance in animal proteins, such as fish, shellfish, and meats.
- Struvite Stones
Doctors mostly find struvite stones in women with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Struvite stones can be large and cause urinary obstruction. Struvite results from a kidney infection. Treating underlying contamination can prevent the development of struvite stones.
Cystine Stones are rare and occur in men and women with the hereditary disease cystinuria. Cystine stone occurs when cysteine, an acid that functions naturally in the body, leaks from the kidneys via urine.
Proper diet for kidney stone patients
What are the risk factors for kidney stones?
The risk factor for kidney stones is making less than 1 litre of urine daily because these structured kidney stones are common in premature infants with kidney problems. However, kidney stones are most frequent in people between 20 and 50. Different factors can increase your risk of developing a stone. In the United States, white people are more likely to have kidney stones than black people. Sex also plays a role. More men are prone to kidney stones than women. A medical history of kidney stones can increase your risk.
Other risk factors include:
- Severe Dehydration
- Excessive Obesity
- Protein diet with high levels of protein, salt, or glucose
- Hyperparathyroid condition
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Inflammatory bowel diseases that increase calcium absorption
- Consuming medications such as triamterene diuretics, antiseizure drugs, and calcium-based antacids
How do you recognize the symptoms and signs of a kidney stone?
Symptoms of kidney stones may not appear until the stone begins to travel down the ureters. This type of severe discomfort is known as renal colic. You may experience discomfort on one side of your back or abdomen. In males, discomfort may radiate to the groin area. Renal colic pain comes and goes, but it can be excruciating. Renal colic patients are often agitated.
What are the other symptoms kidney stones can include?
- Hematuria or blood in the urine (red, pink, or brown urine)
- Vomiting
- Nauseatic feel
- Discoloured or foul-smelling urine
- Chills
- Abdominal discomfort
- Persistent fever
- Frequently in need of urination
- urinating in small amounts of urine
In the case of a small kidney stone, you may not have any pain or symptoms as the stone passes through your urinary tract.
Why are kidney stones a problem?
Stones don’t always stay in the kidney. Sometimes, they pass from the kidney into the ureters. Ureters are small, and delicate kidney stones may be too large to pass through it smoothly down the ureter to the bladder. Passage of kidney stones down the ureter can cause spasms and irritation of the ureters. This action causes blood to appear in the urine. Sometimes, stones block the flow of urine. Doctors called it a urinary obstruction. Urinary obstructions can lead to kidney infection and kidney damage.
How do you diagnose and test kidney stones?
Diagnosis of kidney stones requires a complete health history assessment and a physical exam.
Other pathological tests include:
- Blood tests for calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, and electrolytes
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine to assess kidney functioning
- Complete urinalysis to check for crystals, bacteria, blood, and white cells
- Specific examination of passed stones to determine their type.
The following radiological tests may exclude obstruction:
- Abdominal X-rays
- Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
- Retrograde pyelogram
- Ultrasound of the kidney (the preferred test)
- MRI scan of the abdomen and kidneys
- Abdominal CT scan
The contrast dye in the CT scan and the IVP can affect kidney function. However, in people with normal kidney function, it hardly matters. Some medications can increase the potential for kidney damage in conjunction with the dye. Ascertain if your radiologist kens about any medicine you’re taking.
What are the best available medications for kidney stones?
Pain relief may require narcotic medication. The presence of infection requires treatment with antibiotic treatment.
Other medications include:
- Allopurinol for uric acid stones
- Thiazide diuretics to prevent calcium stones from forming
- Sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate makes the urine less acidic
- Phosphorus solutions to prevent calcium stones from forming
- Ibuprofen for pain
- Acetaminophen for pain
- Naproxen sodium for pain
What are the three surgical options available to treat kidney stones?
Lithotripsy
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy employs sound waves to break up big stones, allowing them to flow more readily through the ureters and into the bladder. This technique can be painful and may necessitate a local anaesthetic. Lithotripsy can cause bruising and bleeding in the belly, back, and around the kidneys and other surrounding organs.
- Tunnel surgery or percutaneous nephrolithotomy
- A nephrosurgeon removes the stones through a small cut in your back. A person may need this procedure when:
- the stone causes obstruction and infection or is damaging the kidneys
- the stone has grown too large to pass
- the patient may not be able to manage the pain
- Ureteroscopy
Your surgeon may use a ureteroscope to remove a stuck stone in the ureter or bladder. A small wire with a camera is inserted into the urethra and passed into the bladder. The doctor then uses a small cage to snag the stone. Your surgeon may send it to the path lab for analysis.
How to prevent the formation of a Kidney Stone?
Proper hydration is a prime factor in preventive measures. Drink a lot of water that helps to increase the amount of urine you pass and helps flush the kidneys. You can substitute ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, and fruit juice for water to help you expand your fluid intake. If the stones are related to low citrate levels, citrate juices could help prevent it. Eating oxalate-rich foods in moderation and reducing your intake of salt and animal proteins can lower your risk of kidney stones. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help prevent the formation of calcium and uric acid stones. If you’ve had a kidney stone or are at risk for a kidney stone, consult with your doctor.
Author: Kishor Deo
Headline: What is nephrolithiasis?
Publisher: Unitedhealthbio
Date modified: 10/07/2021
Headline: What is nephrolithiasis?