Kidney Stone Treatment
Kidney Stones
Renal lithiasis or kidney stones are small, hard deposits of acid and mineral salts that are located on the inner surfaces of the kidneys. In normal circumstances there stones are diluted in the urine, however when the urine is concentrated, the minerals may crystallize and stick together and solidify into a kidney stone.
Though kidney stones are painful, they do not usually cause any permanent damage.
Kidney Stones – Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of kidney stones may not be felt until the stone moves into the tube connecting the bladder and the kidney. When it does, some of the signs and symptoms that may occur are:
- Pain during urination
- Cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine
- A persistent urge to urinate
- Nausea as well as vomiting
- Pain below the ribs as well as the lower abdomen and groin
- Fluctuations in the intensity of the pain
- Fever and chills, in case an infection is present
As said earlier there may be cases when none of these symptoms are present. In that 
scenario, kidney stones may show up in an X-ray when you seek medical care for other problems such as blood in your urine or recurring urinary tract infection.
Kidney Stones – Risk Factors
- Lack of Fluids in the System: Your urine is likely to have higher concentrations of substances that can form stones if you do not drink enough fluids. You are also more likely to form kidney stones if you live in hot and dry climate or exercise strenuously without replacing lost fluids.
- Personal History: You are more likely to develop kidney stones if someone in your family has kidney stones. You are also at risk if you have already had one or more kidney stones.
- Sex and Age: People in the age group of 20 to 70 years are more likely to develop kidney stones. Men are also more likely to develop kidney stones compared to women.
- Diet: A diet that is high in protein and sodium and low in calcium may increase your risk of developing some types of kidney stones.
- Lifestyle: You are more likely to develop kidney stones if you have been leading a sedentary life for a long period of time. The reason for this is that limited activity can cause your bones to release more calcium.
- High Blood Pressure: The risk of developing kidney stones is doubled by high blood pressure.
- Gastric Bypass Surgery and Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Chronic Diarrhea: Stone-forming substances are greatly increased by changes in the digestive process which affects the absorption of calcium in the body.
Kidney Stones – Diagnosis
A blood analysis is the first test your doctor will ask you to take if he suspects you have kidney stones. This analysis is used to look for excess calcium or uric acid. He/she may also ask you for a 24-hour collection of urine in order to check whether you are excreting too many stone-forming minerals or too little inhibiting substances.
Apart from the above, your doctor may also have one or more of the imaging tests listed below:
- X-Ray: Using an abdominal X-ray, most of the kidney stones can be visualized. This test can also help judge the changes in the size of the stone over some time.
- Computerized Tomography (CT) scan: This imaging test can evaluate acute kidney stones rapidly. It can also identify stones regardless of its composition and does not require the use of contrast dye.
- Ultrasound: Unlike X-rays, ultrasound combines high-frequency radio waves and computer processing in order to view your internal organs. This technique is safe, painless and noninvasive but may miss small stones, especially if they are located in your bladder or in a ureter.
- Intravenous Pyelography (Excretory Urogram): The location of stones in the urinary system as well as the degree of blockage caused by a stone can be determined by this study. In this test, a contrast dye is injected into the vein in your arm after which a series of X-rays are taken as the dye moves through your kidneys, ureters and bladder.
Kidney Stones – Treatment
Thankfully surgery is not always necessary to remove kidney stones. If the doctor thinks that the stone can pass on its own and you can deal with the pain, he/she may suggest some home kidney stones treatment, such as drinking plenty of water. Here is a good online resource for home treatment: www.kidney-stones-breakthrough.com If you suffer from kidney stones, you should drink enough water to keep the urine clear. This means about 2 glasses every 2 hours while you are awake. Of course remember to talk to your doctor if you have liver, heart and kidney disease and are on a fluid restriction. Also note that it is not advisable to drink grapefruit as this may increase your risk of developing kidney stones.
Apart from the increased intake of fluids, you doctor may also prescribe medicine to relieve the pain as well as other medicines that will help you pass the stone in the urine.
Some stones cannot be treated using the means cited above. It is in cases like these that you might require professional treatment. The procedures involved in kidney stones treatment include:
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL): This procedure is commonly used to treat kidney stones. As the name implies, shock waves are used in this procedure to break the stones into tiny pieces that later pass out through the urine. During this procedure you might be partially submerged in a tub of water or you may have to lie on a soft cushion. Slight sedation or light anesthesia is usually given in this procedure because of the moderate pain caused by the shock waves. Earphones will also be provided to protect your hearing as every time a shock wave is generated, a loud noise is produced.
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy: This procedure is used when ESWL is not effective or the stone is very large. During this procedure the surgeon puts a narrow telescope into the kidney through a small cut in your back. After that is done, the doctor may remove the stones or break it up and then remove it.
- Ureteroscopy: Generally this procedure is used to remove a stone that is lodged in the ureter. In this procedure, the surgeon passes a very thin telescope tube, called a ureteroscope up the urinary tract to the stone’s location. Once that is done he/she uses instruments to remove the stone or break it up for easier removal.
- Open Surgery: In this procedure, the surgeon makes a cut in the side of the belly in order to reach the kidneys and remove the stones. This treatment is rarely used nowadays.
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By Rachna Gupta
Kidney stones and gallstones |
Tagged with: kidney stone treat • stone • treatment
Filed under: Kidney Stone Treatments
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