KidneyStoneGuy

How are Kidney Stones Treated?

When you’re writhing in agony from the pain caused by kidney stones, there’s only one thing on your mind and that’s to get treatment right away. Pain meds might help in reducing the pain to some degree, but the relief won’t last. What you’ll need is to see your doctor. When you get to the doctor or the emergency room if you can no longer stand the pain, you’ll first undergo a short physical exam to determine the location of the pain. If the doctor suspects kidney stones, you’ll need to undergo further laboratory tests, an x-ray, or a ct-scan to determine the presence, size, and location of the stones. It’s important to understand that whenever possible, doctors will attempt to encourage your body to rid the stones as naturally as possible. You’ll be given intra-venous fluids for rehydration and pain meds to help you cope with the pain. If the doctors determine that the stones are too large to pass through the urinary pathway, they’ll break the stones down using a non-invasive procedure called lithotripsy. During this procedure a machine that produces shock waves will be used to break down the stones into smaller pieces so the body can get rid of them naturally. Depending on the size of the stones, you might need to undergo the procedure several times. The procedure will be painful but doctors will provide pain medications. Larger stones may require surgery. There are three basic types: Ureteroscopy, Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or PCNL for short, and …

Can Kidney Stones Be Prevented?

Developing kidney stones is one of the worst nightmares you’ll have. Even if you could eventually get rid of the stones without medical intervention, the pain you’ll experience will definitely leave you wondering if you could somehow prevent developing stones in the first place. Fortunately, you can. There’s a wide consensus among scientists, researchers, and medical professionals that majority of kidney stone cases can be prevented. If you follow these simple tips, you can reduce the risk of developing stones dramatically. The top reasons why a person develops stones are: Diet Dehydration Obesity Family History Diet Doctors believe that people who are fond of eating processed foods, high amounts of sodium (salt), or sugary foods and beverages, have a higher risk of developing stones. Processed foods contain excessive amounts of salt and other minerals for preservation and flavor. The kidneys will attempt to filter these waste products and excrete them from the body through urine, but they can build up in the kidneys over time forming stones. To reduce the risks of developing stones, you’ll want to avoid processed foods as much as you can. If you can’t totally avoid these products, then reducing your consumption by a third will help prevent these stones from developing. Dehydration A lot of people don’t drink enough water. They replace water with other drinks, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, sports drinks, or even alcoholic beverages. It’s important to remember that no other type of drink can replace water when it comes …

How to Know if You Have a Kidney Stone?

Kidney stones are quite prevalent in the United States according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). They estimate that 11 percent of the male population and 6 percent of female population in the US have experienced this condition. However, many cases of kidney stones go undiagnosed because some people don’t experience any symptoms. Small kidney stones often pass through the urinary system without causing any pain. Only when a stone becomes large enough to block the passage of urine in the ureter or kidney will it cause symptoms. Symptoms of kidney stones The first and most noticeable symptom you’ll experience if you have kidney stones is pain in your flanks or near the lower back. This pain is caused by one or more kidney stones blocking the passageway from the kidney down to the bladder. You will also feel a significant amount of pain if the stone becomes stuck in the kidney preventing urine from flowing down to the bladder. The build-up of urine in the kidney will be painful, to the extent that you may not even be able to stand from a sitting position. The pain usually comes in waves. Though it can be excruciating at times, it may also subside for a few minutes before returning. The other symptoms of kidney stones can include: Bloody urine Nausea Vomiting A need to urinate but lack of urine output Frequent urination Can kidney stones be detected before any symptoms appear? Kidney stones are often …

What are Kidney Stones?

The kidneys are one of the most important organs of the human body. They filter out toxins and other harmful elements from the blood and remove those from the body as urine. Without the kidneys or if the kidneys malfunction, these harmful elements can build up and destroy the rest of the body’s organs, such as the heart, liver, and even the brain. Majority of the waste products the kidneys filter from the blood are made of minerals and salt. Unfortunately, these waste products can sometimes build up in the kidneys as well. When they do, they form kidney stones. These stones are crystal formations that usually start off small, but in time they can get larger. The different types of kidney stones Most kidney stones are made of calcium and are referred to as calcium stones. Around 80% of people with kidney stones have calcium stones. Kidney stones can also be made up of uric acid. People who have high levels of uric acid in the blood are at risk of developing these types stones. However, only about 10% of kidney stone cases are caused by uric acid. Other rare cases of kidney stones are struvite stones caused by a urinary tract infection and cystine stones that are amino acids. Cystine stones are caused by a rare metabolic disorder. Amino acids are supposed to be reabsorbed by the body as these are important elements. When the body fails to reabsorb it and cystine continues to build up in the …

Prevention of Kidney Stones Through Diet

Kidney stones are not actual stones, like those you can pick off the ground or skip across water These are called stones, however, because of how they appear and how they feel like when passing through the body. Kidney stones are hard crystal deposits of minerals that are formed inside the kidney. They are usually yellow or brown in color and can be composed of different minerals, depending on the cause of the said stone formation. Kidney stones form mainly due to a person’s diet and the kidneys efficiency when performing its primary function – which is to clean and filter the bloodstream. As the blood gets screened, several by-products of the body’s digestion get filtered and can turn into clumps. These stones start out as tiny crystals that are to be excreted naturally with urine. However, a person who doesn’t drink much water or take in lesser amounts of liquids than advised may have difficulty in dissolving these tiny clumped crystals which further leads to forming even bigger crystals that might passageways causing a block in the urine passageways or even an infection in the kidney itself. The different kinds of kidney stones are formed are rooted in its cause. Calcium stones are mainly caused by eating food high in oxalates, Vitamin D, and calcium in itself. Cystine stones are hereditary, which means if any of your parents have it then it could be passed on easily. Struvite stones are common with cases of kidney and urinary infections. Uric …