Kidney Stones

Many people suffer from kidney stones, which could lead to other health issues and cause excruciating pain, which might be unbearable sometimes.

Kidney stones

They’re solid mases or crystals that are formed from specific substances in the kidney. They are either small stones, like a grain of sand, or large (which is rare).

Kidney stones are very common and occur at an annual rate of 0.1-0.5% (about 1 of every 10 people will have kidney stones throughout their lives). This condition usually starts between the ages of 20 and 30 years old, and males are more susceptible than females until the sixth decade, when females become more susceptible than males.

Types of kidney stones

• Calcium stones: The most common type (75-80%). They occur due to an increase in the calcium or other substance that’s called oxalate (it’s secreted from the liver and also exists in some vegetables, fruits, chocolate, and nuts), in addition to not drinking enough water.
• Uric acid stones: It’s a substance that’s resulted from the breakdown of specific substances, and it can also be increased due to high consumption of animal proteins (like meat, eggs, poultry, etc.) or from some medications.
• Struvite stones: They occur due to some bacterial infections.
• Cystine stones: They result from an inherited disease that’s called cystinuria.

Causes and risk factors of kidney stones

• Not drinking enough water.
• Family history.
• High consumption of animal proteins and foods rich in sugar and salt.
• Having some supplements, like vitamin C.
• Some medical conditions, such as renal tubular acidosis, Crohn’s disease, hyperparathyroidism, obesity, type 2 diabetes, gout, and surgical procedures like gastric bypass.
• Some medications, like diuretics, calcium-based antacids, excessive use of laxatives, and some anti-seizure medications.

Symptoms of kidney stones

Most of the time, small stones pass with the urine without any symptoms, but large stones could get trapped in the ureter (the tube between the kidney and the bladder) and cause several symptoms:

• Severe pain in the sides or the lower back, and it could extend to the lower abdomen. The pain fluctuates, and its severity changes according to the case.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• A burning feeling while urinating.
• Blood in the urine.
• Foul-smelling urine.
• The urge to urinate a lot or urinate in small amounts.
• Fever and chills.

Complications of kidney stones

Kidney stones could lead to some serious complications when unmanaged, such as:

• Hydronephrosis, due to a blockage in the ureter that makes the urine back up to the kidney.
• Kidney infections.
• Reversible kidney failure.
• Frequent urinary tract infections.
• Chronic kidney disease.

Diagnosis of kidney stones

The specialist takes the patient’s medical history, performs a urine test, a test to determine the type of the stone, blood tests, and imaging tests.

Treatment of kidney stones

When the stones are small, they could pass on their own, and the patient should:

• Drink enough water (2-3 liters daily).
• Use painkillers when needed.
• In some cases, specific medicines are given to relax the muscles of the ureter in order to help pass out the stones.

In the case of large stones, some procedures could be applied, like using wave sounds to break up the stones or removing them through surgery or a scope.

Prevention of kidney stones

• Follow a healthy lifestyle and drink enough water.
• Not having high amounts of foods that increase the risk of stones.
• Having calcium-rich foods instead of calcium supplements.
• In some cases that are more susceptible to have kidney stones, some medications could be prescribed to prevent them.