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Attack Of The Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are hard masses that form anywhere on the urinary tract or kidney. Stones vary in size, from too small to be seen with the naked eye to an inch or more in diameter. A large so-called stag horn stone can fill almost the entire renal pelvis and the tubes that drain into it.
It is not by any means a modern affliction. In fact, cases have been known to exist since the age of the Egyptian pyramid. It has just become more prevalent at present which experts have attributed to a person's diet choices and lack of fluids.
A person having stones may not even feel any symptom. Kidney stones are usually discovered after undergoing X-rays and other laboratory examinations for seemingly unrelated conditions. Stones may form when the urine becomes too saturated with salt or when the urine lacks the normal inhibitors of stone formation. Aside from diet, some other factors that can cause this condition are heredity, drugs, climate, lifestyle factors and certain medical conditions.
There are four (4) main types of kidney stones: calcium, struvite, uric acid and cystine. Calcium stones are the most common. They are usually a combination of calcium and oxalate, a compound that can be found in regular foods. Foods high in oxalate include rhubarb, spinach, cacao, nuts, pepper and tea. Struvite stones which is a mixture of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate are also known as infection stones as they only form in infected urine. Uric acid stones are formed of uric acid which is a by-product of protein metabolism. Cystine stones are the rarest type as they only form in people with a hereditary disorder which causes the kidneys to excrete excessive amounts of certain amino acids
Stones in the bladder may cause pain in the lower abdomen. Back pain or renal colic is felt when stones obstruct the ureter or renal pelvis or any of its drainage tubes. Renal colic is characterized by an intense intermittent pain that occurs usually in the flank that spreads across the abdomen, often to the genital area and inner thigh.
Other symptoms are nausea and vomiting, urinary frequency, urgency or hesitancy, blood in the urine, painful urination, fever, chills and abnormal urine color and odor. A person may have the urge to urinate frequently especially when a stone passes down the ureter. Tiny stones usually do not cause any symptom.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) may result when bacteria becomes trapped in the urine that pools above a blockage tube. This urine then backs up in the tubes inside the kidney where stones block the urinary tract for a considerable length of time. This produces excessive pressure that can cause the kidney to distend and eventually damage it.
Screening and Diagnosis
Stones that cause pain are generally diagnosed on the basis of the symptoms of renal colic in connection with the tenderness over the back and groin or pain in the genital area without any apparent cause. Urinalysis may detect blood or pus in the urine and the presence of too many stone-forming minerals or too few inhibiting substances. A blood analysis will usually reveal excess calcium or uric acid in the body.
A person suspected of having kidney stones will be required to undergo one or two imaging and diagnostic tests to verify the size and location of the stone/s. X-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen will visualize most kidney stones except for uric acid stones. An ultrasound combines high frequency radio waves and computer processing to facilitate a painless and non-invasive means of viewing the internal organs. However, small stones located in the ureter or bladder is usually not seen.
Another diagnostic procedure that may be needed is the intravenous urography where a radiopaque dye (which is visible on x-rays) is injected into a vein and travels to the kidneys. It outlines uric acid stones so they will be visible in x-rays. The radiopaque dye is introduced into the urinary tract through the urethra for retrograde urography. Computer Tomography (CT) is a test that can be rapidly performed and can identify stones regardless of composition without the use of any contrast dye. This is usually reserved for situations in which diagnosis has not been made with other procedures due to the amount of radiation exposure that comes with the test.
Conventional Treatment
Treatment for kidney stone varies according to the type of stone and cause of formation. Small stones that are not causing any symptoms, obstruction or infection usually do not need to be treated. This can be remedied by drinking plenty of fluids or receiving large amounts of fluids intravenously if oral intake is not possible. The amount of fluid increases urine production to help wash out stones. No other immediate treatment is needed once a stone is passed.
Stones that cannot be treated this way due to its size or an existing infection will need professional treatment. One procedure is the Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL). A stone in the renal pelvis or uppermost part of the ureter that is ˝" or less in diameter can be broken up by Ultrasound waves directed at the body by a sound wave generator. The tiny pieces of stone are often passed in the urine.
In Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy, the surgeon will remove the kidney stone through a small incision at the back. The Ureteroscopic stone removal uses a small instrument passed into the ureter through the bladder to snare the stone. Parathyroid surgery is done to remove a tumor in one of the four parathyroid glands which produces too much hormone. Too much of these hormones cause the level of calcium on a person's body to become too high. This results to excessive excretion of calcium in the urine. Sometimes, larger stones that are causing obstruction may necessitate an open surgical removal that will require a big incision.
Medications are also sometimes given to control the level of acidity or alkalinity in urine. The doctor is likely to prescribe a thiazide diuretic or a preparation containing phosphate to help prevent calcium stone formation. If the calcium stone is caused by renal tubular acidosis, taking sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate may be recommended by the doctor.
Allopurinol may be prescribed to reduce uric acid levels in the blood and urine to prevent formation of uric acid stones. An alkalinizing agent may be added to dissolve the stones. Prevention of struvite stones may require a long term use of antibiotics in small doses to keep urine free from infection-causing bacteria. Medications to alkalinize the urine or bind the cystine in the urine can be given for the treatment of cystine stones. These stones are the hardest stones and are considered the most difficult to treat. When a stone is passed, it should be saved for analysis to determine the type.
Alternative Cure
Stones have a tendency to return particularly if the cause is not found and treated. Although kidney stones can be excreted without causing permanent damage, the recurrence of stones can be a very painful thing to bear. This could lead to consideration of other options by the kidney stone sufferer.
Complications such as urinary tract infection, kidney damage or scarring and decrease or loss of function of the affected kidney are scary circumstances no one will definitely look forward to. However, the pain associated with surgical procedures and medical treatments can work to discourage affected persons to seek remedies. Even the prescribed drugs can be very expensive and may cause damage to the kidneys.
People faced with the prospect of having long term aggravation caused by recurring stones should know that there are other options available to them. There are effective herbal and home remedies that can be used to flush out kidney stones from one's system quickly and easily.
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