Kidney stones are stones that form in any part of the urinary tract. These are hard deposits of salt and minerals such as calcium or uric acid that cannot be dissolved by the body. When higher levels of these minerals get accumulated, kidney stones develop.
Our urinary system works round-the-clock to excrete waste matter from the body. The kidneys, which are bean-shaped organs, purifies the blood and remove toxicants through the urine. When these toxicants don’t dissolve properly, stones develop.
Kidney stones can be very painful as their size increases or the stones move toward the bladder. When these stones get stuck in the ureter, urine flow can be blocked which can cause immense pain.
Causes of Kidney Stones
Everyone should have the habit of drinking an ample amount of water regularly. The reason is a simple one- preventing the development of gallstones. We should drink 6-8 glasses of water a day which produces more than one liter of urine per day. The chances of stones developing increase when you drink less water than the required amount.
The primary reason for the formation of kidney stones is low urine volume. When the volume of fluid in the urine is less, the urine becomes concentrated and dark in color. As the urine becomes concentrated, the salts in the urine don’t dissolve.
People who are at higher risk of developing kidney stones are:
- People whose age ranges between 20 and 50
- Dehydration due to hard exercising, hot living conditions or not drinking enough water
- Being obese or overweight
- A protein-rich, sodium-rich or glucose-rich diet
- People who have recently undergone gastric bypass surgery
- People suffering from hyperparathyroid conditions or inflammatory bowel diseases such as Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease
- Certain medications such as diuretics, anti-seizure drugs, etc.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
For very small kidney stones, you won’t experience any pain or symptoms. But for a large stone, it can cause immense pain, especially on one side of the back or abdomen, as it moves down towards the ureters.
This immense pain is known as renal colic. Sometimes the stone can become lodged in the ureter which leads to swelling of the kidneys (hydronephrosis). This is another reason for acute pain. The pain occurs and disappears in waves as the stone travels to the bladder through the ureter.
Some of the common symptoms of kidney stones are described below-
- Red/Pink/Brown urine due to blood in the urine
- Feeling of nausea
- Vomiting
- Foul-smelling urine
- Chills
- Fever
- Frequent urge to urinate
- When you urinate, a small amount of urine is discharged
- Burning sensation while urinating
Treatment
We provide easy storage and access to information from Mantra Care technology. Here, patients can easily acquire notes from virtual doctor consultations, treatment plans, prescriptions, and more from one place. Get medical information 24/7 from any digital device.
Mantra Care aims at creating a much more efficient experience for patients through their cost-effective and quality-driven medical treatments. We provide relatively lower-cost treatments for almost every health problem making our company the best choice for patients. Mantra Care technology automates all the manual tasks for members and doctors, making it a viable choice for acquiring lower-cost treatments. If you are looking for an effective kidney stone treatment you can visit MantraCare.
