Kidney Stone
Kidney stone is one of the most common diseases of the urinary tract, affecting a large number of population across the globe. It affects people of all age groups, sex and races, but as per the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), it occurs more often in men as compared to women between the ages of 20 to 50 years. In India, about 12 per cent of the entire population is expected to have urinary stones at some point in their life. The stones are mainly stuck in the kidney and the symptoms of the disease include intense pain, hematuria, blockage of urine flow and others. However, in most of the cases, people do not feel pain in the initial stages and only experience it when the stones start to grow in size and shift from their position.
Cause & Symptoms
Kidney stones are hard deposition of minerals and salts in the kidneys. These stones are formed when too much of crystal-forming substances accumulate in the urine, allowing them to stick together. The common minerals that lead to the formation of stones are amino acids, proteins, bicarbonate, calcium, phosphate, and potassium.
There is no definite reason behind the formation of kidney stones, it may vary depending on serval factors.
Genetics: You are more likely to develop stones if someone in your family has ever suffered this issue. Moreover, if you already had kidney stones once, the chances of getting it another time are quite high.
Dehydration: Lack of sufficient amount of water in the body can also spike the risk of developing complications in your kidney. Lack of water in the body makes the urine concentrated and the amount of the minerals in it increases, which after sometime forms a stone. People living in a hotter area and those who sweat a lot are more prone to developing kidney stones.
Imbalance diet: Regular intake of foods high in protein, sodium and sugar may also increase your risk of some type of kidney stones.
Obesity: People with a high body mass index (BMI) are also prone to this disease.
Apart from these major factors, certain medical conditions like gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel movement, diarrhoea, UTI, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism can increase the level of stones causing minerals in the urine.
In the beginning, the kidney stone may not show any symptoms due to its small size. But when the size increases and the stone starts to move in the kidneys and pass into the ureter, you may notice the changes. Here are some common symptoms of kidney stones:
-Sharp pain in the side, back and below the ribs
-Pain that comes suddenly and then goes away
-Pain or burning sensation on urination
-Blood spot or pink, red or brown colour urine
-Foul-smelling urine
-Feeling nauseated or vomiting
-Urinating frequently and in a small amount
-Occasional fever or chills
The stone sometimes passes through the kidney and moves through the urinary tract, in such a situation you may experience pain in different areas in the lower abdomen.
The doctor will first physically examine your situation, after which you may have to undergo any of the following tests for conformation:
Blood test: Blood test helps to evaluate the health of your kidneys and the presence of too much calcium or uric acid in the body.
Urine test: Urine test reveals the amount of stone-forming minerals in your urine. You might be asked to undergo the urine test for two consecutive days to get a better understanding of the situation.
Imaging tests: Imaging test like X-rays, computerized tomography (CT), ultrasound, a noninvasive test and intravenous urography shows the stone in your urinary tract.
The treatment for kidney stones depends on the type of stone and the cause.
For small stones
Small kidney stones are easy to treat and it does not show any major symptoms. You may experience mild pain in the lower abdomen. Few things you can do to pass the stones are:
-Drink 2 litres of water every day to flush the stone out of the urinary system through urine.
-In some cases, doctors also prescribe different types of medicines. The drugs relax the muscles in your ureter, making it easier for you to pass the stone with less pain.
For large stone
Large kidney stones are difficult to pass through the urinary tract. They can even damage the kidney or the surrounding area. For larger stones, different types of procedures are followed.
Sound waves: Depending on the size and the location on the stone in your lower abdomen, doctors may recommend sound therapy to break the stone that can be easily passed through the urine. This procedure is known as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).
Surgery: The procedure of surgical removal of stones is called percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Small telescopes and instruments are inserted through a small incision in your back to remove the large stone.
Parathyroid gland surgery: Sometimes kidneys stones are also formed due to overactive parathyroid glands, located below your Adam's apple. The amount of calcium in your blood increases when this gland produces too much of parathyroid hormone. The doctor may recommend treatment to prevent this condition.
To prevent the accumulation of minerals in your urine, doctors also prescribe some kind of medications.
-For calcium stones thiazide diuretic or phosphate-containing drugs.
-Allopurinol is recommended to prevent uric acid stone.
-For struvite stones, you are required to keep your urine bacteria-free. You may be prescribed some antibiotics.
-For Cystine stones, you are required to drink more water to produce urine.
- 24-Feb-2020
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