Kidney Stones: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatments

Our kidneys are functioned in such a way that they filter out waste from our blood that helps in formation of urine, but sometimes salts and other minerals in urine stick together to form kidney stones. These stones usually consist of calcium oxalate and several other compounds. The size of these stones can range from the size of a sugar crystal to a ping pong ball and are rarely noticed unless they cause a blockage. The blockage further can lead to intense pain if they break loose and push into the ureters, as they leave your body.

The diagnosis of kidney stones may require a CT scan, X-rays, ultrasound, and urinalysis, moreover, blood tests can help look for high levels of minerals indicating their involvement in forming kidney stones.

Causes

The leading most known cause of kidney stones is the lack of water in the body. Individuals who drink less amount of water are more susceptible to forming stones in their kidney. That is why it is recommended to at least drink 10 glasses of water a day.

When there is not enough water in our body to dilute the uric acid (a component of urine), our urine becomes more acidic and an excessively acidic environment in urine is the most ideal condition for the stones to form.

Symptoms:

Unless the stones break loose into the ureters, there is no symptom through which you can guess that you have kidney stones, in short, kidney stones are usually symptomless. When the symptoms of kidney stones become apparent, they include:

·         Severe pain on the sides

·         Having blood in the urine

·         Vomiting and nausea

·         Finding pus of White blood cells in the urine

·         Less urine

·         Intense burning sensation during urination

·         Persistent urge to urinate

·         Fever

Males are more vulnerable to have kidney stones than females, whereas your family history of kidney stone can develop your chances of having them. Similar to that, if you have had a previous kidney stone occurrence then you have a higher risk to develop stones in the future if preventive actions are not taken.

Treatment

Small kidney stones do not need any treatment as they can just pass out through urine without causing you much pain. If an individual has a history of kidney stones, home treatment may be suitable for him/her, whereas for individuals who have never passed a kidney stone should speak with a doctor.

Medication:

Your doctor can prescribe you medication that can help your body pass the kidney stone. These drugs relax the walls of your ureter while widening the passage so that a stone can easily fit and pass through it without causing much pain. The only side effects of medication are that you might feel mild dizziness and headache. Antiemetic medication can also be used for people who are experiencing nausea and vomiting.

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Shock Wave Treatment:

The shock wave is the most commonly done procedure to cure kidney stones, also known as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). High energy waves are used to break down the kidney stones into little pieces so that those small pieces can then move through the urinary tract more easily. The side effects of shock wave treatment can include, bleeding, bruising, or little pain after the procedure.

Ureteroscopy:

If a stone is out of the kidney and is stuck in the bladder or somewhere close to it, the process of Ureteroscopy is used in which a thin tube is passed through the urinary tract towards the stone. The stone is then broken up in little parts and then removed through the tube. There are no incisions made in the body.

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