Kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard deposits that can form in one or both kidneys. If you experience severe pain due to stones, this condition is called renal colic.
What causes kidney stones to form?
Sometimes breakdown products in the blood form crystals in the kidneys. Over time, these crystals can accumulate and form a hard, stone-like agglomerate. This mainly happens when there is inadequate fluid intake, taking certain types of medications, or a metabolic disorder that causes crystals to accumulate in the urine. Once a kidney stone has formed, your body tries to excrete it along with the urine. This means that the stone will pass through the urinary tract (kidneys, urethra, and bladder).
How common are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are a fairly common condition that often develops in people between the ages of 30 and 60. This pathology is more common in men. It is believed that renal colic or pain associated with the passage of stones develops in 10-20% of men and 3-5% of women.
Treatment and prevention of kidney stones
Most kidney stones are small enough to pass out with urine, and in some cases, they can be treated at home with medication. However, larger stones need to be broken up in the hospital by X-ray or ultrasound, and they may also need to be surgically removed. It has been found that about half of patients with kidney stones develop urolithiasis again within the next 5 years. To prevent kidney stones, it is important to drink enough water daily to prevent dehydration.
Symptoms of kidney stones
If you have a small kidney stone, you may not even be aware of its presence and it will painlessly pass out with urine. Symptoms usually appear when the stone starts to pass through the ureter (the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder) - the ureter is a narrow tube, so a stone can cause pain or infection as it passes through.
In such cases, symptoms of kidney stones include pain in the lower back, which can sometimes go to the groin. Men may also experience pain in the testicles or scrotum. Episodes of intense pain in the back, side of the abdomen, and sometimes in the groin may last for several minutes or hours.
- Restlessness and inability to lie still
- Nausea
- Frequent urination
- Pain when urinating
- Blood in the urine, which may be caused by the stone scratching the kidney or ureter
- Ureteral blockage and kidney infection
If a stone blocks the ureter, it can lead to the development of a kidney infection as the breakdown products cannot be excreted from the body, leading to an increase in bacteria.
Symptoms of a kidney infection are similar to those of kidney stones and may include the following:
- High fever of 38°C or higher
- Shivering
- Chills
- Feeling weak or tired
- Diarrhea
- Cloudy urine with a foul odor
The exact causes of kidney stones are unknown, but there are risk factors for their formation:
- Heredity
- Dehydration (when the body loses fluid)
- Overweight
- General disorders of the digestive system
- Protein diet
- Inflammation of the urinary tract
- Diseases of the urinary tract that cause obstruction of urine flow
- Recurrent kidney stones
The risk of developing recurrent kidney stones is increased if:
- You eat a lot of protein foods that are low in fiber
- You are not physically active
- You are on bed rest due to various illnesses
- Kidney stones are a family disease
- You have had several cases of kidney stones or urinary tract infections
- Only one kidney is functioning
- You suffer from a specific digestive system disease
Diagnosis of kidney stones
Kidney stones can be diagnosed using the following tests:
- X-ray
- Ultrasound of the urinary tract
- Computerized tomography
- Urinalysis
- Testing for any stones excreted in the urine
Surgical treatment of urolithiasis at New Hospitals
Surgical treatment of urolithiasis is used for stones of any density, size and localization. Depending on the localization, stones can be of:
- Kidney
- Ureter
- Bladder
- Urethra.
Surgical treatments include the full range of endourology:
- Ureteral stenting
- Percutaneous nephrostomy
- Endoscopic ureteral stone removal (urethroscopy)
- Percutaneous pyelolithotomy (PNL)
- Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS using flexible ureteroscope)
- Transurethral lithotripsy for bladder and urethral stones
- Laparoscopic surgery, for anomalies of the urinary system, in the complex treatment of urolithiasis
A full list of these methods is available at New Hospitals for the treatment of urolithiasis in both adults and children and for appropriate indications.
When should I seek emergency medical aid?
Seek emergency medical aid immediately if you develop a high temperature (fever) of 38°C with chills and worsening acute onset of pain.
