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An estimated 500,000 individuals visit emergency rooms annually due to kidney stone issues. An estimated 10% of individuals will experience kidney stones at some point in their lives. About 11% of men and 9% of women are at risk of kidney stones. Kidney stones may become more likely as a result of other conditions like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
Renal calculi, nephrolithiasis, and urolithiasis are other names for kidney stones, which are hard deposits of minerals and salts that develop inside your kidneys. Kidney stones can be caused by a variety of factors, including diet, obesity, certain medical disorders, and certain drugs and supplements. Any portion of your urinary tract, including your kidneys and bladder, can be impacted by kidney stones. When urine concentration increases, minerals can crystallize and adhere to one another, resulting in the formation of stones.
Kidney stones can be extremely painful, but if they are detected early enough, they usually don't cause any long-term harm. Depending on your circumstances, passing out a kidney stone might only require you to take painkillers and drink a lot of water. In other cases, surgery might be required, such as when stones become trapped in the urinary tract, are linked to an infection, or result in complications. If you have a higher chance of getting kidney stones again, your doctor might suggest preventive measures to lower your risk.
Numerous wastes are dissolved in urine. Crystals form when there is an excessive amount of waste in a small amount of liquid. If the crystals aren't expelled from the body with the urine, they will continue to draw in other elements and unite to form a larger solid. The kidneys, the body's chief chemist, typically remove these substances from the body through the urine. For most people, pee contains chemicals that prevent stones from forming, or they are washed out by enough liquid. Calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate are the substances that cause stones.
Once formed, the stone may remain in the kidney or pass into the ureter through the urinary tract. Small stones can occasionally pass through the urine system without causing much discomfort. However, immobile stones may result in a urine retention in the bladder, urethra, ureter, or kidney. The pain stems from this.
Following are the various types of kidney stones:
Calcium stones, often in the form of calcium oxalate, make up the majority of kidney stones. Your liver produces oxalate, or it can be absorbed through food. There is a lot of oxalate in nuts, chocolate, and some fruits and vegetables. Urine can contain higher levels of calcium or oxalate due to dietary factors, high vitamin D dosages, intestinal bypass surgery, and various metabolic disorders. Calcium phosphate stones are another possible type of calcium stone. More cases of this kind of stone occur in metabolic disorders like renal tubular acidosis. It might also be connected to some drugs, like topiramate, that are used to treat seizures or migraines.
A urinary tract infection can lead to the formation of struvite stones. These stones can occasionally occur with few symptoms or little warning, growing swiftly and becoming fairly large.
People who eat a high-protein diet, have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, or lose excessive amounts of fluid due to chronic diarrhea or malabsorption are at risk of developing uric acid stones. Your risk of uric acid stones may also be increased by specific genetic factors.
People who have cystinuria, a genetic disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of a particular amino acid, are at risk of developing these stones.
A number of factors may raise your risk, but there is rarely a single, clear cause for kidney stones. When your urine contains more crystal-forming substances than it can dilute, like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid, kidney stones can develop. Additionally, it's possible that your urine lacks substances that inhibit crystals from clumping together, which makes kidney stones more likely to form.
Also, read: The Importance of Regular Kidney Function Tests
Most of the time, a kidney stone won't cause symptoms until it moves in the kidney or enters one of the ureters. The tubes that join the kidneys to the bladder are called ureters. Kidney stones can obstruct urine flow, enlarge the kidney, and cause painful spasms in the ureters if they become lodged in them. At that time, you might have these symptoms:
You may be able to prevent kidney stones by making minor changes to your current diet and nutrition plan:
Kidney stones are often experienced. Although there is no assurance that preventive measures will be effective, they could lower your risk. Drinking plenty of water and changing your diet are the best ways to avoid kidney stones. Seek advice from your doctor on managing any conditions that raise your risk of kidney stones, such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, or recurrent UTIs. Ask your doctor to perform kidney function test (KFT) if you have previously experienced kidney stones. You can take specific action to stop new stones from forming once you identify the type of stone you've had.
If you are prone to having kidney stones or experiencing first signs of kidney stones, get tested accurately at Dr. B. Lal Labs. Get free report consultation. Book your test now!
Q1: How can one determine the onset of a kidney stone?
A: Pain in the lower back, abdomen, or side is the most typical sign of kidney stones (flank pain). It may feel as though it reaches from your side to your groin. Either a dull or severe sharp pain can be felt. Because it sometimes worsens in waves, it's sometimes referred to as colicky pain.
Q2: What effectively dissolves kidney stones?
A: Kidney stones can pass more quickly if you drink enough water. Some foods and drinks, such as lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, can dissolve kidney stones and facilitate their passage. Getting enough fluids can aid in the passage of kidney stones and stop new ones from developing.
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