Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Kidney Stones - I

Kidney Stones are hard collections of Salt and Minerals often made up of Calcium and Uric Acid. They form inside the Kidney and can travel to other parts of urinary tract. Stones vary in size. Some
are as much as a fraction of an inch. Others can grow to a few inches across. Some Kidney stones can become so large they take up the entire kidney. A Kidney stone forms when too much of certain minerals in your body accumulate in urine. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese and those who have Diabetes.

Most common type of Kidney Stone contains calcium in combination with Oxalate or Phosphate. Majority of stones are calcium stones. Other chemical compounds that can form stones include Uric Acid, Magnesium ammonium phosphate which forms Struvite stones and Amino acid cysteine. Stones can also result from infection in the urinary tract. Diabetes, High B.P., Gout, Dietary factors are also associated with increased risk of developing Kidney stones.  

Smaller Kidney Stones that remain in the kidney often don't cause any symptoms. You might notice anything is amiss until the stone moves into ureter - tube that urine travels through to get from
Kidney to Bladder. Kidney stones are typically very painful. Most stones will pass on their own without treatment. However, a procedure is needed to breakup or remove stones that don't pass.
A kidney stone may not cause symptoms unless it moves around within kidney or passes into Ureter.
At that point, one may experience signs and symptoms of the problem.
Kidney Stones pain also known as Renal Colic is one of the most severe types of pain imaginable.
Usually, pain starts when a stone moves into the narrow Ureter. This causes a blockage which makes pressure buildup in the kidney. The pain activates nerve fibers that transmit pain signals to the brain. Pain often starts suddenly. As the stone moves, pain changes location and intensity. Pain comes and goes in waves which is made worse by Ureters contracting as they try to push the stone out. Each wave may last for few minutes, disappear, and then come back again. Pain is felt along the side and back, below the ribs. It may radiate to belly and Groin areas as the stone moves down through urinary tract. Large stones can be more painful than small ones. But the severity of pain does not necessarily relate to size of the stone. Even a little stone can be painful as it moves and causes a blockage.

Dehydration is a major risk factor for Kidney Stones formation.
Diagnosis of Kidney Stone is best accomplished by using Ultra sound, CT scan or Intravenous Pyleography (IVP).

Treatment and precautions to prevent such occurrence shall be in my next post.


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