Kidney Stones - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

Treatment for kidney stones varies depending on the size and type of the stone or the symptoms caused by it. In case of small stones, medication and simple changes in lifestyle can be enough to treat it, but surgeries and extensive treatments are required if symptoms are severe. 

Following are treatment options for kidney stones:

Small stones with minimal symptoms 

1. Drinking water: Drinking around 3 liters of water a day will regulate your urinary system and can effectively eliminate small stones. Unless your doctor advices otherwise, drinking ample amount of fluids, usually water, is one of the commonest way to get rid of small kidney stones. 
2. Pain relievers: There might be a considerable amount of pain and discomfort associated with passing the stone through urine. Your doctor may recommend pain killers like Ibuprofen, Naproxen sodium or acetaminophen. 
3. Medical therapy: In order to eliminate the kidney stone, your doctor may administer medical therapy. Medication like alpha blocker helps in passing the kidney stone with least pain and more quickly. It relaxes the muscles in the ureter and makes the process relatively easy. 

Large stones with severe symptoms 

1. Using sound waves to break up stones: In this technique, a procedure called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), is employed. ESWL uses the help of sound waves to create vibrations which breaks the stones in smaller pieces. This procedure takes about an hour and can cause mild pain and discomfort. Your doctor may administer sedatives to reduce your sensitivity. ESWL has side effects like blood in urine or bruising in the abdomen. 
2. Surgical removal of kidney stones: Surgical removal of stones is done with the help of a procedure called nepholithotomy. It uses small telescopes and other instruments which are inserted in your back through a small incision. It is generally done in case of large stones and when ESWL fails. 
3. Ureteric Calculi (Using a scope to remove stones): A thin illuminated tube called ureteroscope is used to remove a comparatively smaller stone in the kidney or ureter. The ureteroscope is equipped with a tiny camera which determines the location of the stone which is then broken into pieces with the help of other instruments. It may require general or regional anesthesia.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Having a stone in any organ of the body can be a harrowing experience but having a stone in your kidney is the most dreadful experience of the lot. The presence of a kidney stone causes excruciating pain in the host’s pelvic area, and if the stone enters the urinary tract of the host, the misery of the patient increases manifold. The urinary tract may also get jammed due to the presence of the stone, thereby causing problems in the urinary flow of the patient.

Ways to Manage a Kidney Stone-
Consulting a doctor is the first thing you should do when suffering from a situation such as a kidney stone. Doctors will provide the patients with medicines to curb their pain and improve their health. But, one can very well improve their condition by some of the basic home remedies as well. The most common home remedies a patient can act upon to manage a kidney stone in the best possible way are:

1. Drinking Water- By drinking water in large amounts, the kidney stone starts to break down into smaller pieces, and the elements of the stone get diluted slowly. Ultimately, due to the dilution of the elements of the stone, the stones pass through with the urine of the patient. By drinking the water, you will be passing urine faster than the normal rate. As the stone enters the urinary tract, there are chances that the stone may be passed out while urinating.
2. Watching Diet- Kidney stone patients should be a bit cautious with the food they consume. They should try and not have food which has high acid content. Low cholesterol levels need to be maintained, so if you want to prevent this from happening you need to cut down on fried and junk food.
3. High Calcium Intake- Having food which has a high calcium content will help in flushing the stones out. The calcium will combine with oxalates and crystalize them, thereby enabling it to pass it through the urinary tract of the patient.
4. High lemon consumption- Lemon juice is filled with citrates. Citrates can easily break up the kidney stones into minute particles and give it a Sandy texture. Citrate also helps in moving the stone in the right direction. You can drink lemon juice directly or mix it with warm water and then consume it.
5. Apple cider vinegar- This again contains a high amount of citric acid which worked very efficiently in our body. It manages to set everything in place. You will be able to digest food in a better manner and will also reduce the pain. It will break down the stone and then pass it. Apple cider vinegar can be consumed with a warm glass of water mixed with one spoon of honey.

Kidney stones is a pretty common yet a serious condition, therefore one should not take it lightly and should consult a doctor as soon as possible. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Though it is well known that maintaining a healthy kidney becomes increasingly difficult over the years, there exists one particular kidney disorder that begins to affect the body very early on. Categorized as a genetic defect, an ectopic kidney refers to the misplacement of a kidney; it often occurs in the womb itself when the kidney somehow shifts upwards or crosses over to connect to the second kidney. Though an ectopic kidney may not be detected for a long time, it may lead to the onset of a number of fatal dysfunctions.

1. Urinary Tract Infection
Since one of the primary functions of the kidney involves clearing out waste products, an ectopic kidney could massively affect the process. Particularly, the flow of urine can be disrupted by the presence of an ectopic kidney as it will tend to retain the bacteria for far longer than is usual. If the urine remains in the system for too long, then it is subject to the development of a urinary tract infection. The symptoms of this may include painful urination, nausea and bouts of high fever.

2. Kidney Damage
Similarly, an ectopic kidney can also cause the urine to back up and invade the kidney region. This brings with a host of complications for the kidney and its standard functions. Though a single ectopic kidney may not lead to immediate kidney damage, the responsibilities for the other kidney doubles as it is subject to a greater load than usual. Should something happen to the other active kidney, your system may be under the threat of the much-dreaded kidney failure.

3. Kidney Stone
As one of the most common kidney disorders that continues to afflict major portions of populace year after year, a kidney stone is accompanied by a great deal of pain and discomfort. These stones are formed by means of substances such as calcium and oxalate that build up in your urinary tract. As an ectopic kidney has the tendency to interrupt the functioning of your urinary tract, the development of these urinary or kidney stones is much more likely.

4. Hydronephrosis
This particular disorder refers to the swelling of the kidney due to an over-saturation of urine. As an ectopic kidney proves more room for the bacterial substances in the urine, they tend to multiply and block the safe drainage of urine from the kidney to the bladder. It can also occur on part of blood clotting, pregnancy, kidney stones and various cancers or tumours.

The above reasons demonstrate the extent to which your body may be affected by an ectopic kidney so make sure you are able to detect it as soon as possible. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Kidney stones are also known as renal calculi and can be found not only in the kidneys but anywhere in the urinary tract such as the ureters, urinary bladder and the urethra. Kidney stones are solid masses of crystals or minerals and salts. These crystals can vary according to size and even shape. The stones are formed when the waste salts and minerals in the urine accumulate and form a solid mass. They get stuck in the urinary tract and result in a very painful condition. Kidney stones normally do not create too much problem unless they get blocked in the passage of urine. Treatment options depend upon the size of the stone. Small calculi pass easily through urine by consuming plenty of water. Larger stones require treatment; whether it is only medication or surgery depends on the severity of the condition.

Following are 5 ways to treat kidney stones:

1. Medication: Medication is used to relieve pain and also help in easy passage of the stones. Medication using alpha adrenergic blockers and calcium channel blockers are normally prescribed as they provide faster clearance rates for the stones. But medication is effective only for stones that have diameters ranging from 4mm to 10mm. Medication using anti-emetic drugs is useful against nausea caused due to kidney stones.
2. Open surgery: Kidney stone removal by open surgery is not very common and is recommended only when the stone is very large or there is any abnormality in anatomy. By open surgery the stone is removed from the ureter or the kidney, wherever it gets stuck.
3. Ureteroscopy: Ureteroscopy is done to remove stones stuck in the ureter. In this procedure, a thin tube is passed from the urethra into the urinary bladder and then into the ureter near the stone which is stuck. The stone is removed either using a laser energy or by another instrument. The procedure is done while the patient is under general anaesthesia. Sometimes a temporary plastic tube may be inserted into the ureter to drain out the stone fragments (as done by laser energy) into the bladder.
4. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): PCNL is a procedure wherein larger stones are plucked out from anywhere in the kidney where they are stuck with the help of an instrument called nephroscope. The larger sized stones are first broken down using pneumatic or laser energy and then pulled out using the telescopic instrument.
5. Home remedies: The first step towards naturally flushing out small stones from the kidneys is drinking plenty of water. At least 10-12 glasses of water must be consumed every day to flush out the stones. Other natural remedies for flushing stones out of the system are lemon juice squeezed in water, basil juice mixed in tea, apple cider vinegar stirred in water, pomegranate juice, kidney bean broth etc.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

You must be aware of renal stones more commonly known as kidney stones as it is a widely known condition that is common among men and women in the age bracket of 30 to 60. To gain an insight into these small hard deposits that are formed in the kidneys, which cause pain when they pass through the urine read on.

How do you know if you have renal stones?
This could be a tough question to answer in a straightforward manner because experiencing any signs of renal stones is very unlikely until it they start moving around within the kidney or pass in the tube that connects the bladder with the kidney. At this point some of the most common symptoms of renal stones are, pain radiating to the groin and lower abdomen, severe pain in the back and a side portion of the bell, right below the ribs, pain during urination, vomiting, and nausea. In case there's a presence of an infection, chills, and fever may also be evident.

What are the types?
Depending on the crystals that the renal stones are made of, there are four different types of kidney stones, namely, cysteine, uric acid, struvite, and calcium. While calcium renal stones are the most common in people, cysteine renal stones are quite rare. And it is the uric acid stones that are more common in men and the struvites that are mostly found in women who have urinary tract infections.

What are the probable factors that cause the issue?
No definite reason has been found for causing renal stones. However, there are a number of factors that are considered to increase the risk of developing kidney stones, including not drinking enough water, taking certain medications, or having a medical condition that is responsible for increasing the levels of certain substances in urine.

What is the possible course of action?
When the kidney stones are diagnosed in their early stages when they are still small, they can be easily passed in the urine with the help of certain medications. But when the renal stones are found to be large ones, either surgical removal or breaking them up with the help of laser energy or ultrasound may be the only way of getting rid of them.

Remember, there is no straight formula to avoid developing renal stones. However, there are indeed a few factors associated with it by controlling which you can reduce the risks of suffering from renal stones, such as, controlling your weight, staying hydrated and eating healthy. Visit your nearest nephrology specialist right away in case you experience any of the renal stone symptoms as early detection is essential for avoiding surgical treatment.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!