Tag: Kidney Stone

Treating Kidney Stones

Treating kidney stones may or may not involve surgery. Ninety-percent of the time, you dont even have to go under the knife because your body will be able to expel it. But what happens to the remaining ten percent?

That remaining ten percent requires surgery because the stones which have clogged up your system are too large to pass through your bladder and is still growing bigger. It could also block urine flow, give you constant pain, damage your kidney tissue or cause you to have UTI or urinary tract infection.

There are currently 4 methods to deal with kidney stones.

The first is ESWL or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Here non-electrical shock waves created outside your body will travel to the skin until it reaches the dense stones. Within minutes, the stones will form into san. For this to work, you will be placed in a tub or warm, purified water or onto a machine that acts as a medium for the non-electrical shockwaves to pass through.

Second, you have PNL or percutaneous nephrolithotomy. This is used when the kidney stone is quite big and ESWL does not work. Here, the doctor will make a small cut on your back to create a tunnel into the kidney. The stone will then be removed using an instrument known as a nephroscope. If the stone is too large, an energy probe will be used. There are two types namely ultrasonic and electrohydraulic.

Third, there is what is known as ureteroscopic stone removal. Here, a small fiberoptic instrument goes through the urethra and bladder to reach the ureter. Once inside, the stone is located and removed with a special instrument that emits a shockwave. After surgery, a tube will be left inside the uterer for a few days to help the lining of the ureter heal.

The fourth option is open surgery. Basically, the doctor will open the affected area and then remove the kidney stone. It is also possible to inject a solution consisting of calcium chloride, cyroprecipitate, thrombin and indigo carmine into the kidney first to trap the stones in a jelly like clot so it will be easy to remove using forceps.

Kidney stone can come back even after you have had surgery. Should it happen again, it only means one thing and that is you did not take preventive measures.

These precautions include drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day which is about 3 liters as this will make your urine look clear instead of yellow. You should make changes in your diet because too much calcium is bad for your health. Some of the things you should reduce include apples, black pepper, chocolate, coffee, cheese, grapes, ice cream, oranges, tomatoes and yogurt.

Reductions should also be made in fish, meat or poultry products because this increases your uric acid. If you drink alcohol often, cut it down since there is no harm if this is taken in moderation.

Now we all know that it is impossible to eat the same things everyday to maintain a balanced diet. What you can do however is take supplements.

The best way to treat kidney stones is prevention. It will also save money since you have to pay for the doctor, the medication and the fees that are done to make the correct diagnosis.

The Importance of Early Diagnosis in Kidney Stones

Those people who are prone to kidney stones must familiarize themselves with the different types as early as possible so they would know what to adjust. Aside from setting lifestyles changes, knowing what type of kidney stones develop in the body is also important because it will help you do the things that will prevent their existence in your body system.

Many people are not aware of it but there are actually different types of kidney stones that some individuals suffer from. Among those types, the most common that most people develop is called “calcium oxalate stone.” While others are called “struvite stones,” “uric acid stones,” and “cystine stones.” These types vary depending on what cause them and their characteristics.

Medical alerts for kidney stones

To be able to address the condition properly, it a must for people who are prone to having kidney stones to familiarize themselves with the condition. In order to determine if one is suffering from kidney stones, here are some medical alerts or symptoms to be noted:

– pain in varying levels. As vague as it is, pain in varying levels is one of the major medical alerts of kidney stones. Considered as a common symptom for kidney stones, pain may vary depending on the size of the kidney stone and the length of time that it remains undiagnosed. Experts say that painwhich can be mild or extremeis normal for people who suffer from kidney stones. This is because as the stone increases in size and weight, the more discomfort it brings especially during urination. Another form of pain that can be experienced due to kidney stones is from renal colic, which brings waves of severe pain that lasts for more than 10 minutes and can even last for an hour depending on the location of the kidney stone.

– presence of blood in the urine or the condition called “hematuria.” The presence of blood in the urine is quite disturbing but this is one of the most common medical alerts of kidney stones.

Immediate diagnosis is a must

Most people dont know it but almost 50 percent of the people who suffer from kidney stones would likely have them again in the next 10 years or so? This is because many of the sufferers do not continue medication and they cease from maintaining healthy diet and lifestyle.

People who are likely to suffer from kidney stones can go to any hospital’s Emergency Room or “ER”. Here, you can ask the attending physician or the hospital clerk on duty to undergo testing. It is advantageous for you to go straight in the ER because hospital people will attend to you directly. In most cases, it would take a long time before one can actually set at check up with a specialist. So it would be best if you go directly to the ER and get the prompt attention that you need.

Diagnosis can be done through an assessment of the person’s clinical history, a physical examination, laboratory evaluation, and x-ray for follow up. Having early diagnosis can definitely help you determine which type of kidney stone is present and would lead to faster and reliable treatments.

Once you feel pain in different extent along with nausea or vomiting, pain with urination, and at times, the urgent need to urinate which are usually characterized among children and adults, then you should have yourself checked by the doctor because you might be suffering from kidney stones.

Kidney Stones Basics

Many people don’t realize it but when the kidney suffers from complications such as kidney stones, it can disrupt its filtering function and may even cause more complicated diseases in people. Experts say that not all kidney stones are harmful as long as they are not located in the utererthe tube that is connected with the bladder and where urine passes.

For people who are prone to kidney stones, it is a must to know the basic things that they must to ensure that they are knowledgeable enough in case they might be suffering from the condition.

The first thing that a person who is prone to kidney stones must know is what is it. As defined, kidney stone is a result of substances and other minerals crystallized in the urine. Kidney stones are hard pieces of materials that can block the passage of urine and may cause pain and infection to the person suffering from it. These stone may grow in size and in number when remained undiagnosed or untreated. Experts categorize kidney stone types into four: the “calcium oxalate”, the “struvite stone,” the “uric acid stone,” and the “cystine stones.”

Next is what are the possible causes of the condition. Experts say that there are many factors that may lead to the possible causes of kidney stones. These factors may include “heredity,” referring to the kidney related diseases that runs in many generations of the family; the “geographical location” which says that the places where the disease is common caused by other related factors such as climate and way of living; “diet” which greatly trigger the cause of the stone especially if they have high contents of calcium, sodium, and “oxalates,” which refer to products that may contribute to the increase in the levels of kidney stone-forming chemicals and substances in the body.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of kidney stones should follow this. You might be suffering from kidney stones if you feel insistent pain in varying levels in your back or side, tinge of blood present in your urine, slight chills or fever which indicates infections, often vomiting, foul smelling urine, cloudy or yellowish urine, urge to urinate often and painful urination.

You should also know are prone to kidney stones. Many studies show that middle-aged men are more prone to developing kidney stones compared to other age brackets. This is because this is when people are reckless and careless about their lifestyles. However, women and kids may also suffer from kidney stones depending on their risk factors such as heredity, lifestyle, and medical condition.

People must also be very aware how kidney stones are diagnosed. Physicians are the best ones who can give accurate diagnosis on kidney stones. When you visit a doctor, he may perform medical history check, lifestyle check, and laboratory tests and examinations so he would determine which treatment options are appropriate for you.

Lastly, what are the treatment options available for this condition. For mild kidney stones, medications to relieve pain are given. For those who are having more complicated stones, medical procedures are available such as shock waves, lithotripsy, tunnel surgery and ureteroscope.

Today, it seems that people who are already suffering from kidney stones are usually the last ones to realize the importance of taking care of the kidney. Knowing the basics will help one to realize the importance of the organ in the functions of the body and for the overall health as well.

Kidney Stones

There are different kinds of kidney stone and it forms from different salts in our urine. There are 4 different types around and here they are.

The first is called a calcium stone and among the 4, this is the most common. It looks spiky or large and smooth. This is made from calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.

It is very common because there are a lot of people who have excess levels of vitamin D or have an overactive parathyroid gland. This may also develop in people who are suffering from cancer or kidney disease.

Next you have uric acid stones which are smooth, soft and color brown. You can get this from eating a lot of meat products. Patients who have undergone chemotherapy are at risk of getting uric acid stones. Both the calcium stones and the uric acid stones commonly occur among men.

You also have struvite or infection stones. These are usually large and have a horn like shape and often develop when there is too much ammonia present in your urine. This occurs if you have UTI or urinary tract infection because the bacteria that causes this infection generates ammonia. This type of stone is found generally in women.

Lastly, you have cystine stones. What makes this different is the fact it is color yellow and crystalline. From the name itself, you can only get it if you have high levels of cystine in your urine.

In some cases, cystine combines with arginine, lysine and omithine. This is a genetic disorder known as cystinuria which happens when the kidney tubules are not reabsorbing the amino acids adequately. This is very rare and it can happen to anyone between the ages of 10 and 30 regardless of gender.

The good news is that despite the different types of kidney stones around, it can be prevented. The best way to do that is to drink lots of water which is equivalent to about 3 liters of water everyday because this helps make the urine clear rather than the color yellow.

Since more people are at risk from developing calcium stones, you should reduce your calcium intake and cut down on vegetables like asparagus and cooked spinach. Do the same for the amount of tea that you drink and the chocolate that you eat.

To prevent having uric acid stones, you should cut down on fish, meat and poultry products. If necessary, your doctor may also prescribe some medicine to help you along the way which is the same to reduce the risk of developing cystine or struvite stones.

Should you already have kidney stones and it is causing problems, you have to see your doctor so both of you can figure out what treatment option is best suited for the situation. You have to remember that the doctor has to figure out first what type of stone is in your system.

With that, he or she will be able to tell you what needs to be done. Your response to this should be more questions so you know what you are getting yourself into. Yes there are ways to deal with kidney stones but you have to know how effective is the medication or treatment, what measures you have to take to prevent this from happening again and if there has been any permanent damage.