Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form inside your kidneys. Kidney stones can affect any part of your urinary tract —from kidneys to bladder. Often, the stones form when the urine becomes concentrated and allows minerals to crystallise and stick together.

Passing kidney stones could be quite painful, but they  usually do not cause any permanent damage. 

Symptoms

A kidney stone may not cause any symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter. You may experience:

• severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs

• pain that spreads to the lower abdomen and groin

• pain that comes in waves and flickers in intensity

• pain while passing urine

• pink, red or brown urine

• cloudy or foul-smelling urine

• nausea and vomiting

• persistent need to urinate

• frequent urination

• fever and chills, if an infection is present

• urinating small amounts of urine

Causes

• Family or personal history- If someone in your family has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones. In case you've already had one or more kidney stones, you're at an  increased risk of developing another.

• Dehydration- Not drinking enough water each day can increase your risk of kidney stones. 

• Certain diets- High in protein, sodium and sugar may increase your risk of some types of kidney stones. 

• Being obese- High body mass index (BMI), large size of the waist and weight- gain increase the risk.

• Digestive diseases and surgery- Gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease or chronic diarrhea can cause changes in the digestive process that affect your absorption of calcium and water and increase the levels of stone-forming substances in your urine.

• Other medical conditions- renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism, certain medications and some urinary tract infections too add up to its risks.

Treatment

Small stones with minimal symptoms won't require invasive treatment. You may be able to pass a small stone by:

• Drinking enough water- Drinking as much as 1.9 to 2.8 litres  water a day may help flush out your urinary system. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise. 

• Pain relievers- To relieve mild pain, your doctor may recommend pain relievers.

• Medical therapy- like alpha blocker prescribed by your doctor to help pass your kidney stone. 

Kidney stones that are too large to pass on their own or because they cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infections — may require more aggressive  treatments like : 

• Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) that uses sound waves to create strong vibrations (shock waves) that break the stones into tiny pieces that can be passed in your urine. The procedure lasts about 45 - 60 minutes and is performed under sedation or light anaesthesia .It tends to  cause blood in the urine, bruising on the back or abdomen, bleeding around the kidney and other adjacent organs, and discomfort as the stone fragments pass through the urinary tract which are medically tackled further.

• Surgery to remove very large stones in the kidney- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a procedure that involves surgically removing a kidney stone using small telescopes and instruments inserted through a small incision in your back.

• Using a scope to remove stones. To remove a smaller stone in your ureter or kidney, your doctor may pass a thin lighted tube called ureteroscope equipped with a camera through your urethra and bladder to your ureter. Once the stone is located, special tools can snare the stone or break it into pieces that will pass in your urine. A small tube (stent) in the ureter can be placed to relieve swelling and promote healing. This procedure may require general or local anaesthesia.