What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are small bits of waste that have become hard. The kidneys filter waste products from the blood. The wastes go with the urine from the body. Sometimes the urine can not dispose of all waste. One part will remain behind in the kidneys. These wastes are hard (crystallize). These are kidney stones. There are several types of kidney stones. Calcium stones (calcium salts) are most common. A kidney stone may remain in the kidney or into the ureter. If he gets stuck causing a lot of pain there. Doctors call this a colic or renal colic.
What causes kidney stones?
Kidney stones are wastes that do not dissolve in the urine but are hard. Why is that? This happens for example when you drink too little. If there is not enough water in your body, the kidneys retain as much water retention. The urine is very concentrated: there are a lot of waste. You can see the color of the urine; which is very dark.
Certain substances in the urine increase the risk of kidney stones, for example, calcium. There are also substances that just prevent that waste is hard. With a shortage of substances which can arise kidney stones.
There are also diseases that cause kidney stones. An example is cystinuria, a disease in which there is too much cystine in the urine. Cystine is a substance which readily forms stones. Cystinuria is recessive hereditary. Another example is a too strong effect of the parathyroid glands. This causes too much calcium in the urine. Both diseases are not so common.
What are the signs and symptoms of kidney stones?
From small kidney stones, you probably will not notice. You pee them out without you noticing it.
Large and sharp kidney stones can cause a fierce, cramp-like pain (colic). This happens especially if they keep stabbing in the ureter. A kidney stone attack is often so painful that you can not sit or lie quietly. The pain begins side in the back and pulls down to the groin. Many people are also sick. Some need vomit.
Keep kidney stones in the ureter hang? Then you may experience the following:
- A dull ache in the side or back. This pain is worse if you drink a lot.
- Renal Pelvic Inflammation.
- If the stone too long in the ureter remains, the kidney can be damaged. Because of the stone urine is not well off and therefore the kidney becomes established.
Diagnosis of kidney stones
When a kidney stone attack symptoms are so obvious that the doctor will think fairly quickly from kidney stones. She asked how the complaints are precisely originated and where you have pain. She also examine your blood and urine.
If you frequently suffer from kidney stones, the GP will refer you to a specialist. It can do the following examinations:
- An echo.
- A CT scan.
- X-ray examination of the kidneys.
What is the Treatment for kidney stones?
What to do for kidney stones?, when a kidney stone attack you get strong painkillers with a muscle-relaxing effect. As a result, the pain is reduced. In extreme pain, the doctor gives you too morphine-like agents. If needed, you will be hospitalized for pain relief through a drip.
A small stone can probably just urination. This is easier if you move a lot. During kidney stone attacks, you should just drink (about a gallon a day). If you drink too much, the pain worse and urination difficult.
In some people, the stone does not come out. They may get medications making it easier to urinate stone.
Strain your urine when urinating. So you can catch the stone. The well peed stone you need to save for research.
Large or sharp stones can damage the urinary tract or shutdown. The doctor removes the stones away. This can be done in different ways:
- With ureteroscopy.
- With the lithotripter.
- With surgery (percutaneous kidney stone removal).
How to prevent kidney stones?
To prevent kidney stones, it is especially important to drink plenty of fluids (at least two liters per day). There are then less waste in the urine. If you have a fever or if it is very hot weather, you should drink even more. Suitable beverages are water and fruit juice. Tea and colas are less suitable.
Also drink before going to bed. It is important that you make overnight urine.
Further dietary recommendations:
- Do not eat too much meat: no more than one and a half ounces per day.
- Eat little salt.
- Do not eat too much but not too little dairy. The guideline is: three glasses of milk and one or two slices of cheese per day.
- Eat plenty of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. Do not eat star fruit (a tropical fruit).
- You can take up to 4 grams of vitamin C per day.