Health Blog Details

Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. It can affect any part of your urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder. If it is diagnosed in a timely fashion, the stones don’t usually cause permanent damage. But passing kidney stones can be extremely painful. You may need surgery if the stones become lodged in the urinary tract.

They are associated with urinary infections or cause complications. At the best urology hospital, doctors may recommend preventive treatment to reduce your risk of recurrent kidney stones because you might be at an increased risk of developing kidney stones again.

Kidney Stone Symptoms

Kidney stones don’t usually cause symptoms until it moves around within the kidney or passes into one of the uterus.

• If the stones become lodged in the ureters, it may block the flow of urine and cause the kidney to swell and the ureter to spasm, making it very painful. 
• At this point, you may experience severe, sharp pain around the ribs. The pain can also radiate to the lower abdomen and groin. 
• The pain may come in waves and fluctuate in intensity or as a burning sensation while urinating. 
• Other signs and symptoms include change in urine color. It may be pink, red, or brown. Your urine might be cloudy and foul-smelling.
• You may also feel a persistent need to urinate, more often than usual and in small amounts. 
• Some symptoms like nausea and vomiting may feel unrelated. If an infection is present, you may even have fever and chills.
• If the stone moves through your urinary tract, the Kidney stone pain will keep changing, shifting to a different location or increasing in intensity. 

Consult with a urologist if you experience any signs and symptoms. You need to seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe pain that you can’t even sit still, or with nausea, vomiting, fever or chills. If you find it difficult to pass urine, or see blood in your urine, do not wait to see the doctor.

Kidney Stone Causes

There are no specific causes attributed to kidney stones. But there are several factors that may increase your risk. 

• Kidney stones may form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances like calcium oxalate and uric acid than how much the fluid in your urine can dilute
• Kidney stones may also form if your urine lacks substances that prevent crystals from sticking together.  

Kidney Stone Types

Kidney stones are of different types. Knowing which type is yours can help determine its cause and help reduce your risk of getting more kidney stones. If you save your kidney stone, you can get it analyzed to find the type of your kidney stone.

Calcium Stone: Most kidneys are calcium stones, they are usually calcium oxalates. But can also occur in the form of calcium phosphate. This type of stone is usually found in metabolic conditions like renal tubular acidosis. It is also associated with medications used to treat migraines or seizures. 

Struvite Stones: These stones are formed in response to urinary tract infections. They can grow quickly and become large with little or no symptoms

Uric Acid Stones: Uric acid stones can form in people who

Lose too much fluid because of chronic diarrhea or malabsorption

• Eat a high-protein diet
• Have diabetes
• Have metabolic syndrome
• Certain genetic factors
• Cystine Stones:These stones are known to form in people who have a hereditary disorder called cystinuria, which is a condition that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of a specific amino acid.

Kidney Stone Treatment

Treatment for kidney stones depends on the type of stone and the cause. If the stone is small and symptoms are minimal, you most likely won’t require invasive treatments. You may be able to pass small stones by drinking enough water to produce as clear urine as possible, use pain relievers for the pain you are experiencing. Doctors may also prescribe medical therapy i.e. alpha blockers to relax the muscle in your ureter, thereby helping you pass the kidney stone more quickly and less pain. 

If the kidneys are too large to pass through on their own, they can cause bleeding, kidney damage, or urinary tract infections. They may require more extensive treatments including sound waves to break up stones, surgery or ureteroscope or parathyroid gland surgery.

Certain factors like family history, dehydration, diet, obesity, Digestive diseases and surgery, other medical conditions as well as certain supplements and medications increases your risk of kidney stones. Diagnostic tests and procedures include blood testing, urine testing, imaging and analysis of passed stones.