Kidney Stones - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

Kidney stones are one of the most common urinary tract disorders. These stones are the result of an abnormal concentration of urine. The stones might get unnoticed, till it moves around the kidney or passes into the ureter. The stones are basically small deposits of calcium that can cause excruciating pain.

Here is a list of signs that can indicate that a person might be suffering from kidney stone disorder:

1. Painful Urination: The most common sign of kidney stones is a sudden urge to urinate. The urination occurs even though an individual has maintained the normal rate of fluid intake. When an individual does try to urinate, the amount of urine expelled is less than normal. In case of a normal volume of urine, an individual might experience extreme pain. The pain is the result of kidney stones travelling from the bladder to the urethra.
2. Back Pain: People suffering from kidney stones often suffer from localized back pain in the early stages. The pain initiates at the side and back, just near the kidney area. As the condition worsens, the pain might spread to the groin, lower abdomen and lower back area. The waves of pain might last from a few minutes to few hours, depending on the number and size of the stones. For men, the pain might also be felt in the testicles and scrotum area.
3. Blood In Urine: Apart from pain and discoloration, visible signs of blood in the urine are seen in patients who have kidney stones. The color of urine might vary from brown, pink to slightly red with stains of blood. With kidney stones increasing in size, it blocks the urethra, thereby ticking blood along with urine. This condition is referred to as hematuria.
4. Vomiting and Nausea: People suffering from kidney stones often complain of nausea. It can become so severe that can lead to vomiting. Some other complications related to this condition include dehydration, nutritional deficiency etc. Another theory suggests that, throwing up is the result of body’s endeavor of clearing the toxic material from the body.
5. Pungent Smell: It is quite common among patients suffering from kidney stones to have a pungent smelling urine. The smell is foul and sticks for a long time. The smell is the result of creatinine waste being accumulated and slowly passing through the urine from time to time.
6. Difficulty in Sitting: Once the kidney stones gain in size, it becomes increasingly difficult for a patient to sit or lie down for a longer duration. Sitting or lying down puts pressure in the kidney area thereby causing intense pain. People try to combat this condition, by frequently standing up or by having a small walk.

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

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!

While most of the health issues that arise in our body show prominent symptoms, some do not, and the patients discover the problem accidentally. One such condition is Ectopic kidney which is a congenital abnormality wherein the organ is located out of normal place. Generally, the kidneys start forming within the pelvis and then move into their position behind the rib cage. In case of the ectopic kidney, one of the two kidneys does not move to the right place but may remain in the pelvis. Or it may move upward, but fails to reach its desired position. What's more, a kidney may cross over so that both the kidneys are located on the same side of the body. 

How is the condition diagnosed? 
An ectopic kidney may be able to function normally without causing any symptoms, and the diagnosis happens by chance. Sometimes, the health care provider may discover ectopic kidney after feeling a lump in the unusual position in the abdomen or may notice it due to urinary problems and pain in the abdomen. 

What are the complications? 
The most common complications of an ectopic kidney include problems in the drainage of urine from the kidney. At times, the urine may flow backward from the bladder to the kidney, an issue which is medically termed as vesicoureteral reflux or VUR. This, in turn, can lead to a host of health issues such as: 

1. Infection: Through urine, the human body can wash out bacteria and inhibits their growth in the kidneys as well as the urinary tract. When the kidney is out of its normal position, the urine gets trapped in the kidney itself or the ureter. The remaining urine allows the bacteria to grow and spread. Hence, an affected individual may suffer from back pain, abdominal pain, fever and chills and foul-smelling urine. 
2. Formation of stones: Calcium and oxalate stones may form in the kidney due to the ectopic kidney. This happens when the urine remains in the urinary tract for a long span of time. It could lead to extreme pain on the sides of the body, blood in the urine, fever or chills, vomiting, burning sensation while urinating. 
3. Trauma: When the ectopic kidney is present in the pelvis, it could become susceptible to injury from blunt trauma. Such people are required to wear protective gear while performing body contact sports. 

What are the treatment options for an ectopic kidney? 

If tests show evidence of an obstruction, then surgery may be required for correcting the causes of obstruction for allowing better drainage of urine. Also, reflux can be fixed with the help of operation for altering the ureter. When there is extensive damage to the kidneys, then surgery may be required for complete removal of the kidney. So, depending on the condition of the patient, the necessary treatment process would be adopted by the nephrologist.

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!