KIDNEYS

A WORD ABOUT KIDNEY STONES

kidney Many of us who suffer with Urinary Tract Infections, also suffer from kidney stones. Kidney stones have been around for centuries, some have even been found in mummies.

Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. Each year, people make almost 3 million visits to health care providers and more than half a million people go to emergency rooms for kidney stone problems. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without any intervention by a physician. Stones that cause lasting symptoms or other complications may be treated by various techniques, most of which do not involve major surgery.

How do you know if you might have a kidney stone? Did you know that often times, kidney stones don’t cause symptoms at all. You might just pass a kidney stone or stones and not even know. However, others can cause major issues in the pain category. Here is what you can look for:

Kidney stones often do not cause any symptoms. Usually, the first symptom of a kidney stone is extreme pain, which begins suddenly when a stone moves in the urinary tract and blocks the flow of urine. Typically, a person feels a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen. Sometimes nausea and vomiting occur. Later, pain may spread to the groin.

If the stone is too large to pass easily, pain continues as the muscles in the wall of the narrow ureter try to squeeze the stone into the bladder. As the stone moves and the body tries to push it out, blood may appear in the urine, making the urine pink. As the stone moves down the ureter, closer to the bladder, a person may feel the need to urinate more often or feel a burning sensation during urination.

If fever and chills accompany any of these symptoms, an infection may be present. In this case, a person should contact a doctor immediately.

Have you ever heard someone talk about how they have had several kidney stones. It seems to run in “individuals”. Why is that? Well, first and foremost- kidney stones are normally caused by food that you eat. Your doctor can order lab test of your urine and also your blood to determine just what your stones are made of. This can prove to be very helpful to you and can actually tell your doctor how to map out a prevention plan for you. Another possibility is to just collect your urine over a certain amount of time after a stone has passed. The article continues:

The doctor may ask the patient to collect urine for 24 hours after a stone has passed or been removed. For a 24-hour urine collection, the patient is given a large container, which is to be refrigerated between trips to the bathroom. The collection is used to measure urine volume and levels of acidity, calcium, sodium, uric acid, oxalate, citrate, and creatinine-a product of muscle metabolism. The doctor will use this information to determine the cause of the stone. A second 24-hour urine collection may be needed to determine whether the prescribed treatment is working.

Many people find that they are prone to forming calcium oxalate stones- the most common stone. You should try and avoid the following foods if you have found that this is the kind of stone your body has formed: