Kidney Stone Symptoms and Treatment

Kidney stones are also known as renal calculi. These are the small solid masses made of crystals. Kidney stones originally originate in the kidneys. The symptoms and treatment of Kidney stones depend on the size of the small masses and their collection in the body. These small masses of stone may also develop in the urinary tract of the human being. These small masses of calcium may also develop in other parts like:

• kidneys
• ureters
• bladder
• urethra

Kidney stones or renal calculi are painful medical conditions. The causes of this condition vary from the types of stones. For example, the stones can be of calcium, uric acid, struvite, and cystine. These may accumulate in the body and may interfere with the normal function of kidneys.

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What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

The symptoms and treatment of Kidney stones may involve a painful procedure. The kidney stones in themselves cause severe pain. Moreover, the symptoms of kidney stones may not appear until the stones begin to move down to ureters. The formation of stones in the kidney may create pain in one side of your abdomen. In men, the pain may radiate to the groin area. The pain may come and go depending on the intensity and the severity of the condition.

Other symptoms of Kidney Stones include::

• blood in the urine and urine may appear red, pink, or brown along with foul-smelling
• vomiting
• nausea
• chills
• fever
• frequent need to urinate
• urinating small amounts of urine

In case the kidney stones are small, there may not appear any pain in the abdomen. This is because the stones pass through the urinary tract with the help of the fluid you take.

What are the causes of kidney stones?

The symptoms and treatment of Kidney stones majorly affect the age group of 20 to 50. However, different factors are likely to affect the development of the stones. For example, white people may be more likely to develop kidney stones than black people. The difference lies in the atmosphere, the living style and the type of food. Also, men are more likely to develop kidney stones than women. Family history also plays a role in the development of risk factors. Kidney stones may appear along with other risk factors like:

• dehydration
• obesity
• a diet that is high in levels of glucose, protein, fats, or salts
• hyperparathyroid condition
• inflammatory bowel diseases that may elevate the absorption of calcium
• Certain types of medications such as triamterene diuretics, antiseizure drugs, and calcium-based antacids

How are kidney stones treated?

The symptoms and treatment of kidney stones majorly depend on the type of stone formed in the kidney. Drinking six to eight glasses of water in a day may help you fight with the stones. Dehydrated people may suffer because of severe vomiting, nausea, etc. Other treatments for kidney stones may include certain types of medications like pain relief medicine, narcotic medications, and antibiotic medications.

The medical procedures that may help to remove kidney stones include:

Lithotripsy

This is a noninvasive surgical procedure that utilizes sound waves to break large stones. This helps the stones to move easily and pass down the ureters into the bladder. The procedure may also become uncomfortable because it may lead to severe pain. You may be provided with anesthesia. The procedure can cause bruising on the abdomen, and bleeding around the area of the kidney or nearby organs.

Tunnel surgery (percutaneous nephrolithotomy)

The surgery helps to remove the stones through a small incision in the back area. You may generally require this procedure when:

Stones are expected to create an infection in the body or kidneys and create obstruction with the normal digestive system

The masses of stones may grow abnormally in large size

Pain is unmanageable

Ureteroscopy

This procedure is followed when the stones are stuck in the ureter or bladder. This may include the removal of stones with the help of surgery. In this method, a small wire with the help of a camera is inserted into the urethra and then passed into the bladder. The doctor may then utilize the small cage to snag the stones and then remove them. The stone is then sent to the laboratory for further analysis.

Testing and diagnosing of kidney stones

In certain cases, the tests, diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of Kidney stones depend on the assessment of family history with the particular medical condition. The diagnosis may require a complete assessment of your family history. Along with this, other diagnosis methods may include:

• blood tests to identify the amount of calcium, phosphorus, and electrolytes in the body
• blood urea nitrogen (BUN) to assess kidney functioning
• urinalysis to check for the presence of bacteria, blood, crystals of masses of stone and white cells
• examination of passed stones

Passing a kidney stone

Passing a kidney stone may involve a process that may depend on the stage of the several weeks.

Stages

Here are the stages that occur when passing a kidney stone:

• Stage 1: After the kidney stones have formed, you may experience spasms in your kidneys. This may cause severe pain in your back that may come and go with the formation of waves.
• Stage 2: During this stage, the stones may enter the ureters. Ureters are the connecting tubes that connect the kidneys with the bladder. Depending on the size of the stones, you may feel pain and entrance pressure in your lower abdomen area.
• Stage 3: Once the stones have reached the bladder, you may feel increased pressure. There may be chances of frequent urination and the urge to use the washroom every hour. The stones may also get stuck at the opening of the urethra blocking the flow of urine.
• Stage 4: The final stage of kidney stones occurs when the stones have reached the urethra. During this stage, you may push hard to pass the stones through urine.

The Takeaway

The amount of time taken to pass the stones through urine depends on the size of the stone. This further undertakes the formation of stones and their texture or what do they include like calcium or phosphorus, etc. in general, small stones may pass through the body with the help of urine. This may take 1-2 weeks, without any use of treatment. On the other hand, large stones may take 2-3 weeks to move and pass into the bladder. The stones may typically take 4 weeks to pass through medical treatments.