Kidney Stones Symptoms

Kidney stones are actual hard deposits of uric acid that form in the urinary tract or on the kidneys. The condition of kidney stones is also called renal calculi or nephrolithiasis. Sometimes these stones are located in the urinary tract or the urethra. In the case of the former it is called urolithiasis while it is called ureterolithiasis in the case of the latter. Usually, kidney stones can develop in anyone, but there are some diseases that act as a trigger for the formation of kidney stones.

People aged 20 to 49 are often prone to kidney stones. Once kidney stones develop in an individual, they tend to be more susceptible to recurrent bouts of kidney stones. Kidney stones are common in people who have high uric acid levels, like patients who suffer from gout. Sometimes pregnancy can cause kidney stones. The kidney stones can be of different shapes like smooth and rounded, jagged with edges or even staghorn shaped. The kidney stones symptoms in men as also the kidney stones symptoms in women are quite different. Middle age men often experience kidney stones. As compared to women, men are three times more likely to suffer from kidney stones. Eighty per cent of the time, men form calcium stones. Women are generally less prone to kidney stones. An excess of vitamin C and D can cause kidney stones in women. One of the main symptoms of kidney stone is the presence of blood in the urine. Another kidney stone symptom is back pain that could be unbearable. Back pain is also one of the important symptoms of kidney stones. People who suffer from kidney stone often have sharp and deep pains in the lower back. People who have kidney stone can also develop deep abdominal or groin pain which can increase or decrease, without any apparent reason. This pain, like a colicky pain, can even cause nausea and bouts of vomiting. People can also have ‘silent’ kidney stones, which cause no symptoms. Sometimes fever can accompany other symptoms. The presence of fever usually indicates an infection as well. The symptoms of kidney stones in children are the same as those in adults.

Kidney Stones Treatment

For the kidney stones treatment, there are different options, like natural treatments, treatments at home or controlling the diet or even surgery. An x-ray usually can diagnose the presence of kidney stones. If the stones are small or of a manageable size, there are methods that teach you how to pass kidney stones. You can drink a lot of water to help the stones pass through your urine. You can try home remedies for kidney stones which help easing the pain of suffering through kidney stones. You can also cure kidney stones naturally. Drinking juniper berry tea or tea made from dandelion root is known to dissolve kidney stones. Eating watermelon has also been known to help pass the kidney stones. Chlorophyll rich food like asparagus also helps pass the kidney stones. Drinking cranberry juice or milk also helps as the natural treatment of kidney stones. Increasing your consumption of vitamin C by eating more citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits and sweet limes is also known to help cure kidney stones.

Surgery is used as treatment when the stone is too big to pass out of the body naturally. Other symptoms which tilt the treatment in favor of surgery is when the stone is too big and causes constant pain; it seems to be caught in a difficult place; is causing constant urinary tract infections; is damaging kidney tissue and causing repeated bleeding and is also growing larger. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is the commonly used procedure in the case of surgery for kidney stones. Other procedures include uteroscopic stone removal and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The location and size of the stone is what helps the doctor to decide what method will be used. There are ways that show you how to prevent kidney stones. With the help of diet and lifestyle changes, the prevention of kidney stones can also happen. The main factor is to drink plenty of water so that kidneys constantly work well. Prevention of kidney stones in men is easier to do than in women. Diet changes including not drinking carbonated drinks and eating food not rich in folate. A diet rich in potassium and magnesium can really help. Foods that should be avoided include all forms of animal protein, tea, chocolate, spinach and calcium and sodium rich foods. Food rich in sugar and purines should also be avoided.

Kidney Stones Causes

Let us see what causes kidney stones. There are some common causes of kidney stones. When the quantity of urine decreases or the mineral buildup in the body increases, it leads to the formation of kidney stones. This is the main cause of kidney stones. Families tend to pass on the gene of kidney stones. People who suffer from a rare disease called renal tubular acidosis are known to suffer from kidney stone. The causes of kidney stones in men and women are usually the same except in the case of pregnancy. Diseases like hyperthyroidism, cystic kidney diseases and some metabolic disorders are also associated with the causes of kidney stones.

Kidney Stones Size

When kidney stones are of a certain size, you can pass it out of the body. Often the body forms stones that are as tiny as a grain of sand. You tend to pass this stone without even realizing you had a stone. These are ‘silent stones’. The problem arises when the stones are marginally bigger or lodged in uncomfortable spots. Depending on which country you belong, the kidney stones size chart could defer as different countries have different rates of incidence of kidney stones. The average size for kidney stones is a stone bigger than a grain of sand while stones about two point five centimeters big is considered a large stone. Internet trivia throws up interesting answers to what is the largest kidney stone with answers that say stones as big as 1.3 kilograms have been recovered from human bodies.

Submitted on May 3, 2011