You must have heard of kidney stones more often. But have you ever wondered what this kidney stone is? Are kidney stones genetic? What are the related factors against it? If not, we are here with detailed information on kidney stones.
The problems relating to kidney stones are increasing at a fast pace. Though there is a proper treatment of kidney stones, there are still failures irrespective of the treatment due to lack of care and proper medications. Let’s look into this crucial topic in detail.
Also, read about Infectious Diseases
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are generally hard deposits inside your kidneys, which are made of salts and minerals. There are four kinds of kidney stones, calcium oxalate, struvite, uric acid, and cystine. These chemicals are present in urine, and they eventually get collected as one hard object forming a kidney stone.
These kidney stones either remain inside the kidney, or pass out the urinary tract into the ureter, and move out with urine without causing any severe pain. But the stone remaining inside the kidney is a massive problem, as it causes a huge amount of pain.
Causes Of Kidney Stones:
The most common causes of kidney stones are drinking less water, exercising either too much or very less, eating foods containing too much salt or sugar, and obesity. In some people’s cases, family genetic history and infections are also taken into consideration.
Some other possibilities of having a kidney stone issue are:
- Due to genetics
- Drinking less water
- Eating much protein, sugar, or salt
- Due to being overweight, i.e, obesity
- Have had Intestinal surgery
- Any health problem
What Are The Symptoms?
If the kidney stone is small, it passes down the urine without showing any symptoms. But if you have a slightly larger stone, it may get stuck inside the kidney or urinary tract and block the urine passage causing severe pain. The symptoms will start appearing to you, they can be:
- Severe pain or burning sensation while urinating
- Along with urination, blood may come
- There will be arp pain in your back or the pelvic area
- Continuous stomach ache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills body temperature
- The foul or cloudy smell in urine.
If you find any of the above-given symptoms, contact a doctor as soon as possible.
Necessary Treatment For Kidney Stone:
The treatment of kidney stones generally depends on a few things:
- Size of the kidney stone
- Type of stone
- Whether the stone is causing pain or not
- If the kidney stone has blocked the urinary tract.
Keeping the above factors in mind, doctors undergo the necessary treatments. Some treatments are:
Lithotripsy:
In this treatment, doctors make use of shock waves to break the stones in the kidney into very tiny pieces, leading them to pass down through urine. The treatment generally takes approximately one hour under general anesthesia.
Ureteroscopy:
In this, the doctor injects a long tube-like instrument into the ureter and either takes out the stone or breaks them down using a laser.
Surgery:
This happens in rare cases. Under surgery, the doctor inserts a tube into the kidney and then takes out the stone. You may be required to stay in the hospital for 2 to 3 days.
Essential Prevention Tips:
Now that we have understood how this kidney stone can prove to be a disaster in our whole body system, we must know the essential steps about how we can prevent kidney stones. Here are the following tips:
- Drink enough water every day. Consume a large number of fluids each day.
- Restrict the consumption of salty, sugary, or high-protein-rich foods.
- Make a proper diet plan and maintain a habit of regular exercise.
- Take all your prescribed medicines on time, and treat any health-related problems shortly.
Conclusion:
Hence, we conclude that kidney stones are harsh to the functioning of the kidney. These hard collections of salt and minerals in our kidneys can move to other parts of our urinary system. So, if you see any symptoms of kidney stones, consult your doctor and get early treatment to prevent any serious complications.
