# The Kidney Stone: Understanding Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

# The Kidney Stone: Understanding Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

 # The Kidney Stone: Understanding Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

Kidney stones can block the flow of urine and lead to infection, kidney damage and even kidney failure. Very small kidney
stones may not cause any symptoms, and small or medium stones may reduce pain. Kidney stones are hard stones that cause
severe pain on one side, as well as blood in the urine and nausea or vomiting.

                                                             With Thanks PHOTO KSP Tabs
If you have ever had severe pain in your abdomen or one side of your back that comes and goes suddenly, you may have a kidney
stone. The pain can be quite intense when a kidney stone passes, so your doctor may prescribe pain medication to help, as
well as medications to help the stone pass. Surgery may be needed if the stone is too large to pass, the stone is growing, or
the stone is blocking the flow of urine.

To get rid of large stones and kidney-damaging stones, doctors may perform a stone-breaking procedure. Large stones Large
stones may require other types of surgery, such as shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy, or percutaneous
nephrolithotomy (PNL). Lithotripsy is used to remove stones just under half an inch (1.25 centimeters) in size found in the
kidneys or ureters. Procedures performed by passing a special instrument through a small surgical incision in the skin of the
back and the kidneys or ureters are used for large stones or for abnormal formation of the kidneys or their surrounding
areas.

                       With THANKS PHOTO NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION

Percutaneous lithotripsy (PNL) involves a half-inch incision (incision) at the back or side, large enough to allow a rigid
telescope (nephroscope) to pass through the hollow central part of the kidney where the calculation is performed. PNL
involves passing a long, thin instrument through the back into the kidney, where the long instrument can break or remove the
stone using laser energy.

The stone may travel inside kidney A or the ureter, the tube that connects kidney A to bladder A, bladder A. Usually, kidney
stones do not cause symptoms until they travel to the kidney or pass into the ureter (muscular tube, connecting the kidney to
the bladder). Some stones get stuck in the kidney or one of the tubes (ureters) that drain urine from one kidney and cause
persistent symptoms or problems.

Kidney stones form when urine levels of things like calcium, oxalate, cystine, or uric acid are high, although they can form
even when things like calcium are at normal levels. Calcium stones form when the kidneys retain excess calcium that is not
used by muscles and bones, rather than excreted from the body. Many people who form calcium stones have high levels of
calcium in their urine, a condition called hypercalciuria. Hypercalciuria can occur for a variety of reasons.

People with calcium stones may have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis and osteoporosis. These stones present
serious health risks, and if left untreated, they can increase the risk of kidney failure. Stones also increase the risk of
urinary tract and kidney infections, which can lead to the spread of bacteria into the bloodstream. Stones that remain in the
kidneys, although usually painless, can be a source of recurrent urinary tract infections.

                           With Thanks image by Google and National Kidney Foundation
Urinary tract infections can cause high temperature (fever), pain when urinating (dysuria), and the need to urinate more
frequently. Other symptoms may include abnormally colored urine, blood in the urine, fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting. If
you have severe pain in your back, buttocks, lower abdomen, or groin, you may have kidney stones. or blood in the urine.
Adolescents with kidney stones that block the urinary tract or cause pain or dehydration from the stones may require
hospitalization.

Some stones remain in the kidneys with little or no symptoms, while others may pass through the urinary tract, causing
painful symptoms as the deposits travel up the ureters (thin tubes that lead to the bladder). Larger stones may take 2-3
weeks to pass through the kidneys and into the bladder.

If the pain is tolerable, there are no signs of infection, the kidneys are not completely blocked, and the stone is small
enough to pass, it is safe to wait four to six weeks for the stone to pass. The pain may subside even if the stone is still
in both ureters, so be sure to see your doctor if the stone doesn't pass within 4 to 6 weeks. If the pain of the stone
persists for more than a week, repeat imaging tests (usually an ultrasound) are done to see if there is further blockage
(sometimes due to remaining stone fragments).

Your urologist may take an x-ray while you are still in the hospital to see if any pieces of the stone remain. If they are,
your urologist may want to re-examine the kidney with a telescope to remove them. Lead is now very rare because x-rays or
scans will usually reveal any blockages, so large stones can be removed before they cause kidney damage.

Smaller stones may cause the most discomfort, while larger stones may sit quietly in the kidney, causing only a dull ache.
Throbbing and unforgettable pain occurs when a kidney stone breaks away from its site of origin, the renal papilla, and
enters the urine collection system. The ureter squeezes the stone towards the bladder, causing severe pain in the side of the
abdomen. Once the stone reaches the bladder, it usually clears up within a few days, but it may take longer, especially in
older men with a large prostate.

A kidney stone is an irregularly shaped solid substance or crystal that can range in size from a grain of sand to the size of
a golf ball. Stones associated with a solitary kidney, poor overall renal function, or complete urinary tract obstruction
should also be treated.

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May 05, 2022 at 07:55PM