Kidney stones are unfortunately one of the many common diseases one can get, and it is known that at least one out of ten people have it at some point in their lives. If we take it an annual perspective, half a million people are medically admitted because of it. Just as it is common to be diagnosed, there are numerous treatments and prevention techniques to get rid of kidney stones.
What are Kidney Stones?
Our kidneys help to remove waste and body fluids from our blood to make urine. When the waste of certain substances is high in our body fluids, the wastes stack up to form a mold b sticking together inside the kidneys. These clumps of waste are diagnosed as Kidney Stones.
How it is caused
As research, men are more prone to it than women, and the factors causing it can be one of the following:
· It is a hereditary disease
· Insufficient amount of water
· Regularly having a diet that is rich in protein, sodium, and sugar
· Being overweight or obese
· Having a polycystic kidney disease
· Urine condition that contains high calcium, uric acid, and cysteine in it
· Taking regular Diuretics or calcium-based antacids
Factors influencing its treatment
It is said that the treatment of kidney stones depends on the size of the stones and its content as in what it is made up of. At times the kidney stones cause a lot of pain as it blocks the urinary tract.
Treatment of Kidney Stones
There are various ways to get rid of kidney stones. Initially, the patient is suggested to do tests like CT scan, urine test, blood test, and x-ray. If a CT scan is done, it contains a contrast dye, which can cause side effects depending on person to person. Therefore, if any problem is caused, it is necessary to let the doctor know right away.
For small-sized kidney stones, the doctors recommend consuming pain medicine for it while also drinking many healthy fluids like water and fresh fruit juice. This will cause the stone to be pushed out through the urinary tract. In the case of larger-sized stones, there is a danger of them blocking the urinary tract; therefore, additional treatment, mainly operation, has to be done.
One of the treatments used is called lithotripsy, which means eliminating the stones by breaking them down with the help of shock waves. When broken into small pieces, it passes through the urinary tract and is out of the body in urine. This treatment takes about forty-five minutes to an hour to complete. It is done generally with anesthesia, making the patient fall asleep so that no pain is felt during the procedure.
Another treatment for kidney stones is ureteroscopy and is also done generally under anesthesia. In this, the doctor uses a long tool shaped like a tube to find the stone and remove it or break it into smaller pieces. In this case, the laser is done to break the stone into smaller pieces that are small enough to pass through the urinary tract.
At times, there are rare cases of this disease in which a surgery called percutaneous nephrolithotomy is needed to be done to remove kidney stones from the patient’s body.
For this, the patient has to be admitted for about two to three days so as to recover from the treatment.
Another very common treatment and cure are drinking enough water every day, which is a very easy and effective method. On average, most people should be drinking about eight to twelve cups of fluid per day.
If a person has a specific kidney condition and cannot have the mentioned amount daily, a doctor’s suggestion would be the best idea. If the everyday consumption of sodium and animal protein is limited, that is another good way to prevent kidney stones.
In conclusion, we should do regular body checkups and stay hydrated daily for good health. In case a person is diagnosed with kidney stones, immediate treatment as per their body need is recommended, and post-treatment, a proper diet recommended by the doctor should be followed for no future problems.
