Stones in the kidney: causes, symptoms and treatments

Have you ever felt discomfort when urinating or on one side of the gut? If so, we recommend you go to your doctor because you can suffer one of the conditions so common today as kidney stones. In today's post we want to tell you all about the kidney stones: causes, symptoms and treatment . We will address issues from when they arise, with the causes of kidney stones; the development of stones, with the symptoms of kidney stones; to finish by providing information about the different treatments for kidney stones that exist. We started!

Causes of kidney stones

Also known as kidney stones and urolithiasis, the stones in the kidney constitute a solid part that arises in the kidney. The causes of kidney stones are caused by metabolic changes, as well as a decrease in urine volume or even an increase in urinary excretion . In general, stones in the kidney appear due to the difficulty of dissolving the salts of the urine. One of the most important causes of kidney stones is a lack of water level in the patient. In fact, the subject is at risk of suffering kidney stones when it is not able to produce a liter of origin daily.

To summarize, the urolithiasis or stones in the kidney arise as a consequence of the accumulation and formation of crystals in the urine with levels very saturated, promoted by a very high concentration of salts in the urine and by the metabolic changes of the subject that favors the concentration of substances in the urine.

As we mentioned above, one of the main causes of kidney stones is due to the lack of fluid in the organism, which favors the accumulation of substances and, therefore, generates kidney stones . Although it is not proven, some doctors believe that the type of liquid to drink can promote the appearance of kidney stones. However, it has already been shown that excessive consumption of vitamin C causes an increase in renal excretion of oxalate and, consequently, increases the risk of kidney stones.

Another cause that comes into play are the hereditary factors . For those who are in these circumstances, it is recommended that they analyze and observe the quantity and quality of urine they produce, that is, they must produce an amount of urine of at least two liters a day and the urine should not have a smell very strong or a very dark color. In this case, it is recommended to go to the doctor to proceed with the examination.

A good diet is vital for the proper functioning of our body , so a diet rich in salts, proteins and sugars favors the appearance of kidney stones, particularly in those who have suffered calcium concentrations.

And finally, we should highlight a social group more prone to kidney stones: patients suffering from obesity over 40 years old, patients with hypertension, diabetes or gout .This pain is focused on the abdominal area, on one side or in the groin. This episode of pain is called renal colic and is caused when a stone of about 4 mm is trapped in the area of ​​the ureter and prevents proper functioning and in turn causes a dilation of the urinary system.

Among other possible symptoms of kidney stones we find blood in the urine, nausea and vomiting, abnormal color of the urine, chills and going to the bathroom more often .

Treatments for kidney stones

Treatments for kidney stones vary depending on a number of circumstances: the size of the kidney stone and the position of the stone in the kidney. The stones with a smaller size do not require a treatment and, therefore, can be eliminated through the urine without causing complications s. This type of natural elimination will produce intense pains in the patient that will be alleviated with medications prescribed by our doctor.

If the kidney stones are larger, a extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is usually performed. In the middle of a wave machine, the doctor breaks the stone into different pieces so that the patient can eliminate them through the urinary tract.

Another treatment for kidney stones is to locate the kidney stone by an instrument that will be inserted into the urethra and bladder to extract the kidney stone or to break it and thus eliminate it via uri naria . This method of removing stones in the kidney requires numbing the affected area.

And finally, there is a method of removing stones in the kidney by means of surgery in which the doctor makes an incision to reach the kidney directly and with the help of a nephroscope, locate the calculus in the kidney and extract it.

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