Kidney Stone Relief

June 5, 2011

Kidney stones is a disease of the kidney whereby solid concretions are formed in the kidneys from minerals in the diet. These stones are usually formed within the kidneys and other parts of the urinary tract. It is also called renal calculus. They are more common in men than in women as men are likely to suffer from kidney stones earlier in life (30-40 years) compared to women.

They can be classified in two main ways: either by where they are located in the body, the kidneys, bladder or ureter or by their chemical composition, most common kidney stones contain calcium. The causes vary from low fluid intake and excessive alcohol drinking which leads to dehydration, cola drinks, excess intake of apple and grapefruit juice, sodium, refined sugars, oxalate and last but not least, a high dietary intake of animal protein. They can go unnoticed as most of them will leave the body by passage in the urine stream; most of them are therefore formed and passed without any significant symptoms. If they are serious and end up growing in size, at least 3 millimeters, they may cause obstruction of the ureter. It will then to conditions like hydronephrosis which is the swelling and dilation of the kidney such that there is a kidney malfunction.

Kidney stones will primarily form when there is an increase of stone forming substances in the urine, calcium for instance or a decrease in the urine volume. The most common type of kidney stones has a combination of calcium and oxalate or phosphate though there are others that will have a dominance of uric acid and amino acid cystine. Symptoms that are exhibited by people suffering from kidney stones are nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, blood in the urine and severe cramping pain in the side, groin or abdomen. If the stones are not very serious, they can be treated by the use of pain killers, non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or opioids. If the stones cause no symptoms, waiting for them to be passed out through the urine is a valid option. On the other hand, if the case is severe, surgery may be required. There are two main types of surgical procedures that can be used, cystoscopic and percutaneous procedures. After the procedures, a tube may be placed in the ureter to bypass the obstruction and alleviate the symptoms as well as prevent uretral stricture.

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