Understanding Kidney Stones: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

 

Kidney stones are one of the top painful medical conditions that millions throughout the world experience. When substances like calcium, oxalate and uric acid form hard deposits in your kidneys and concentrate in your urine, stones begin to calcify. These conditions by themselves are a result of severe pain, trouble breathing and even worsen in some instances to produce crucial situation if not diagnosed on time.

Here in this article we are going to understand about what are kidney stones, what causes them, their symptoms, treatments available and how it is actually prevented. By knowing more about the condition, people can be able to recognize and know what steps they need to do so as to prevent future discomfort and no risk in health for having kidney stones.

What are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones (renal calculi) are solid masses made of crystals that typically arise within the kidneys. Their size can range from sand grains to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones can hang out in the kidneys or they can travel down the ureters, which are the two tubes that pass urine from your kidneys to your bladder. If they come out through the ureters, the passage of kidney stones with this stone can be excruciatingly painful.

Causes of Kidney Stones

There are several contributing factors that can cause kidney stones to form including;

Possible dehydration: The lack of water is a major factor leading to kidney stones. If you are dehydrated, urine becomes concentrated and invites minerals and salts to bind together in your urinary system, creating these stones.

Diet — A diet high in salt, sugar and protein can raise the risk for kidney stone formation. It may also be caused by some types of stones, notably calcium oxalate stones, to as foods rich in oxalate (spinach, beetroot and other contained nuts).

Family history: if someone in your immediate family has had a kidney stone your risk is higher. There are those who, by their genetic lottery, absorb more calcium within the intestines and this may cause the deposited stones.

Medical Conditions: Certain conditions, including hyperparathyroidism, gout and certain urinary tract infections (UTIs), can increase the risk of stone formation. Higher risk in people with diabetes, obesity

Medications: Taking certain medications can also predispose some people to have kidney stones, such as diuretics calcium based antacids and several anti -epileptic drugs.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Mini kidney stones that remain in the urinary system and do not cause substantial symptoms can pass unnoticed (pgadrenal) but larger stones may be extremely painful (en.wikipedia). These are some common indications which indicate kidney stones —

Extreme pain: Kidney stones are said to be the most painful side-effect a person can experience; generally starting in the back or side, over time spreading down towards the abdomen and groin.

As a result, hematuria is one of the most common warning signs when there are kidney stones present in blood. It causes the urine to turn pink, red or brown.

Increased urination: This is another classic symptom and could be due to the stone blocking flow in the urinary tract.

Nausea and Vomiting – The severity of the pain from kidney stones can also induce nausea and vomiting.

Fever and Chills — This could be a sign of sepsis or blood infection if the stones have caused an infection in the urine.

Kidney Stones Treatment Options

The treatment of kidney stones is based on their size, type and location. Surgery may be needed for larger stones or for smaller stones that cause symptoms. However, stones more than 5 mm or causing any symptom would need a treatment. Treatment options include:

Water intake : Maintaining enough water in the body will help to pass out tiny stones. Doctors will often tell patients to consume between 2-3 liters of water every day.

Pain Relief: OTC pain relievers can provide relief from the pain of passing a stone (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

Medications — some medications like alpha-blockers can help relax the muscles in the ureter and make it easier to pass stones.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL): This non-invasive procedure breaks down stones larger than the ureteroscopy can manage into smaller pieces which can be passed out through the urinary system.

Surgery — Sometimes, for larger or more complicated stones, surgical procedures like ureteroscopy (a procedure to remove kidney or ureter stones that are less than 0.5 inches in size) or percutaneous nephrolithotomy (to remove large kidney stones through an incision in your back).

Prevention of Kidney Stones

Mostly the kidney stones are preventable through adjustments of diet and lifestyle. Prevention Tips

Keep Hydrated: Sipping lots of liquid cuts back upon materials found within the pee which can trigger natural stone creation. 8-12 cups of water per day is ideal.

Control the Use of Salt and Sugar: By reducing your intake of sodium, you can minimize the risk of having kidney stones. Many processed foods contain high quantities of both, so make sure to read food labels.

Consume Calcium-Rich Foods — The most common type of kidney stone, called a calcium oxalate stone, is often caused by the lack of enough calcium in your diet. Antacid calcium should be avoided, he added; taking calcium in food sources such as milk and yogurt is better for the kidneys than through supplements because of an increased stone risk.

Cut Out Oxalate-Rich Foods: If you get calcium oxalate stones, your doctor has probably told you to avoid high-oxalate foods such as spinach, chocolate, and some nuts.

Keep the weight under control: Obesity and increased body weight are associated with an increased risk of developing kidney stones, so if you want to avoid them and keep your kidneys working properly it is important that you do a proper diet.

Conclusion

Kidney stones are an incredibly uncomfortable condition and can truly downgrade your quality of life. It is important to understand the causes, identify the symptoms and learn about available treatments in order to cope with it. Drinking enough water, changing your diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can massively lower the chances of you getting kidney stones. If you notice any symptoms you should see your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment to prevent additional issues.

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