Kidney stones are the hard deposits of salts and minerals formed inside the kidneys. Medically, it is called nephrolithiasis.
Causes of Kidney Stones:
Various factors cause kidney stones.
Drinking less water:
Less water intake leads to concentrated urine, crystal settling, and kidney stone formation.
Eating more sugar and salt in the diet:
More consumption of salt in died leads to kidney stone formation.
Frequent urinary tract infections:
Frequent urinary tract infections can lead to the formation of struvite stones due to increased urine acidity.
High calcium diet:
Consuming moderate amounts of calcium-rich foods or supplements can help prevent oxalate stone formation, as calcium binds with oxalates.
High uric acid:
Consuming a high purine diet, having metabolic disorders, or experiencing sudden dehydration due to severe diarrhea can increase uric acid levels, which can lead to kidney stone formation.
Cystinuria:
When an excess amount of the amino acid cystine is released by the kidneys, it can lead to the formation of stones in urine.
Obesity: In an obese patient, when fat is no longer absorbed, fats bind with calcium, and during this, oxalates, left behind, which further form oxalate stones.
Diabetic people or high sugar levels:
People with high blood sugar levels develop sugary crystals that accumulate and cause kidney stones. Maintaining controlled sugar levels can prevent stone formation.
Symptoms:
Usually, small kidney stones do not cause symptoms, but larger stones can cause pressure on surrounding tissues, leading to various symptoms.
Severe flank pain:
Stones, when they become larger in number and cause pain, sometimes the pain becomes very intense and needs intravenous pain killers.
Frequent urination:
Sometimes, a kidney stone can move into the ureter and block the flow of urine, causing urine flow disturbances. This obstruction can also cause injury to the ureter, resulting in bleeding, which is medically known as hematuria.
Acute kidney injury:
In case a bigger stone gets stuck in the ureter and fully blocks the path, it can lead to an emergency that requires immediate intervention. Otherwise, urine can flow back into the kidneys and cause acute kidney injury.
Frequent urinary tract infections:
Heavy crystals can cause urine to be more acidic, which leads to bacterial growth in the urine, called urinary tract infection.
Prevention:
Kidney stones can be prevented by following these tips.it mostly depends upon the diet you eat.
Reducing salt intake can lower risk of kidney stones caused by salt precipitates in the kidneys.
Less use of food that increases uric acid levels in the body: Avoid use of food that increases levels of uric acid such as red meat, alcohol, sugary drinks, juices and sweets.
Limit use of calcium containing suplements: Avoid too much consumption of calcium containing foods such as milk, Cheese, yogurt, whole grains, almond, leafy green vegetables etc.
Limit use of oxalate containing foods: lower the use of food that contains oxalates such as beets, fried potatoes or finger chips, nuts, green leafy vegetables such as spinach etc.
Avoid dehydration Or low water intake: Continuous dehydration or low fluid or water intake leads urine to be more concentrated which leads to sedimentation of minerals and crystals in kidneys which further leads to stone formation.
Avoid use of extra calcium supplements: Use excessive use of calcium supplements or if necessary to take the supplements drink more and more water with the medication of during the course of treatment.
What are the complications of kidney stones?
Severe pain: Patient with kidney stone suffer from severe pain usually needs hospitalization for intravenous administration of pain killers.
Ureter blockage:
Sometimes stones slipped from kidney stuck in ureter .If the stone is in small size that may pass into urine without any pain or feeling. However if a large size stone stuck in the ureter it blocks the ureter and obstructs the flow of urine. Urine flows back into the kidney and if not treated with 24hours to 48 hours kidney failure may occur.
Sepsis: Concentrated urine or obstructed urine may lead to colonization of bacteria that lead to urinary tract infection.
Renal failure: Stone stucked or obstructed in ureter causes back flow of urine into kidneys which causes kidney failure.
Frequent Urinary tract infection: Patient suffers from frequent urinary infections due to urinary stasis.
Severe bleeding (hematuria): Sharp edges of stones injure the inner walls of ureter and causes bleeding.
Treatment of kidney stones:
Most of the kidney stones pass out through urine when you drink more water, but large-sized stones need surgical or medical interventions. Following procedures are carried out for kidney stones.
Lithotripsy (ESWL, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy): Kidney stones are crushed by using shock waves. These wave are used externally as well as internally by inserting a scope through the urethra to the ureter and then the kidneys. After this procedure patient id advised to drink more water at least three liters per day to remove the particles of crushed stones.
Open surgery: More complex and big stones which cannot be crushed through wave rays are surgically removed by open surgery.
Drinking much water: Drinking more water prevents stone formation and removes tiny stones through urine. Furthermore, more water consumption prevents the accumulation of minerals and crystals in the kidneys.
Painkillers: pain is reduced through painkillers.However,it does not treat the stone but provide relief from pain. More use of painkillers should be avoided as it leads to drug addiction as well as not good for kidneys.
Moreover, kidney stones are preventable by modifying diet and life style, such as drinking more and more water, use less salts in diet, use less food containing oxalates and avoid over use of calcium supplements .furthermore, weight reduction is also an important key factor to reduce stone formation.
