Kidney Stones | Gurgaon

Kidney Stone :

Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Kidneys remove excess chemicals and fluid from the blood to make urine. Sometimes, when too much of certain chemicals are excreted by the kidneys, they may precipitate and form stones.

What are the causes and risk factors of kidney stones?

Anyone can get a kidney stone, but some people are more likely than others to have them.

Men get kidney stones more commonly than women.

The chance of getting a stone is higher if a person ;

had had kidney stones before.
had had kidney stones before.
Takes a diet high in protein, sodium and/or sugar.
is overweight or obese.
Has structural abnormalities of kidney preventing complete emptying of urine from kidneys
has a certain condition that causes his urine to contain high levels of cystine, oxalate, uric acid or calcium.
Has a family who has had kidney stones.

Symptoms of kidney stones

If you have a very small kidney stone that moves easily through your urinary tract, you may not have any symptoms, and may never know that you had a kidney stone.

If you have a larger kidney stone, you may notice any of the following symptoms:

Sharp pain in back or lower abdomen
Pain while passing urine
Blood in urine
Nausea and vomiting

Treatment for kidney stones

The treatment for a kidney stone depends on

a) size of the stone

b) its location ( See Figure)

c) what it is made of

d) whether it is causing pain and

e) whether it is blocking the urinary tract.

Location of stones

For this certain tests are required.

a) Ultrasound / X-ray and/or CT scan.

b) Urine tests

c) Blood tests

Common Treatment for Stones

a) Medical Treatment: If the test results show that the kidney stone is small, it may be treated with antibiotics, pain medicine, plenty of oral fluids to allow the stone to pass out on its own. During this period you will be kept under close observation and may require repeat ultrasound/X-Ray to see progress of the stone.

b) If the stone is large, or if it is blocking the urinary tract, Endoscopic surgical treatment may be necessary like;

i) URS with Laser for breaking stone into small dust-like pieces which pass in urine. This is done for stones in ureter.

ii) RIRS: where special equipment is used to break/remove small stones from kidney with use of Laser.

Iii) PCNL: In this large stones are removed from kidney by making a small (approx.1cm) direct puncture into kidney from your back.

d) ESWL: This treatment uses shock waves to break up the kidney stones into small pieces. After the treatment, the small pieces of the kidney stone will pass through your urinary tract and out of your body with your urine. This treatment usually takes 45 minutes to one hour.

In all these procedures there is NO CUT on the body.

How to prevent kidney stones

a)The best way to prevent most kidney stones is to drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water per day.

b) Reduce intake of salt and animal protein (meat, eggs).

c) Reduce intake of green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, soft drinks, junk food, dry fruits etc. This reduces intake of Oxalates

d) Orange juice is good and may help prevent stones.

e) If your doctor can find out what your kidney stone is made of, he or she may be able to give you specific diet to help prevent future kidney stones. For this Stone Analysis is done once stone is removed.

Do not start or stop any treatment or diet without talking to your doctor first !

Common types of kidney stones

a) Calcium stones are the most common type of kidney stones (70-80% of all stones). They are usually made of calcium and oxalate (a natural chemical found in most foods), but are sometimes made

of calcium and phosphate).

b) Uric acid stones form when the urine is often too acidic. Uric acid can form stones by itself or with calcium.

c) Struvite stones can happen when you have certain types of urinary tract infections in which bacteria make ammonia that builds up in your urine.

Struvite stones are made of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate