1 in 10 people develop kidney stone(s) at some point in their lives. In the United States, kidney stone percentage rose from 3.8% in the 1970s to 8.8% in the late 2000s. It is estimated to have risen a lot more during the 2010s. Moreover, more than half a million people have to check-in emergencies across the country for kidney stone issues.
Minor kidney stones might also be overlooked and be allowed to develop into bigger ones and bigger problems. Once a kidney stone gets so big that it blocks vessels, the only option left will be to surgically remove it. Smaller kidney stones can also be taken care of by regular family physicians. For bigger ones, seeing a qualified urologist in Bronx NY or any other part of the country you live in, is a must.
How Kidney Stones Get Made?
Kidney stones are almost as hard and rigid as regular stones we see around us. Their size may vary from person to person. Dissolved minerals on the inner lining of kidneys make kidney stones. Calcium oxalate is the compound commonly making kidney stones in us along with many others.
Biggest kidney stones have been reported to be of the size of a golf ball believe it or not. Their structure is usually that of a sharp crystalline in nature and thus can be quite painful. Smaller stones can also pass through the urinary tract unnoticed while the bigger ones can be quite some hurtful.
Kidney Stone Symptoms and Signs
It is next to impossible to see or feel a kidney stone unless it moves into the ureter. It may stay dormant inside the kidney for any length of time until it gets pushed around. However, when its symptoms do surface, these might include:
- Continuous or occasional blood in the urine
- Severe pain in groin and/or side. It can be any side depending on which kidney stone is in
- A feeling of nausea with the possibility or feeling of vomiting
- Pus or surplus white blood cells in the urine
- Reduction in the amount of urine passed to normal days
- Persistent urge to urinate with not much of it passing
- Burning sensation while urinating with some degree of pain
- In case of infection, there might be fever and chills through the body
Where a general practitioner in Bronx might be able to help with smaller stones, larger ones may not be easy to deal with. Be sure to visit a qualified urologist in Bronx NY or wherever you live in order to get proper treatment. Small to medium-sized stones can be removed with medication and also laser treatment.
Complications Related with Kidney Stones
Where smaller kidney stones might not cause much harm unless they enter some critical arteries, larger ones do. First of all, the excruciating pain some kidney stones can cause for their size and sharp edges is too great. They can also remain in the body for any lengths of time causing many other problems.
Some kidney stones have been known to block the tube that connects kidneys to the bladder. This will obstruct urine path outwards from the body causing even more problems. Research has also proven that people with kidney stones are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.
Urine collecting up because of its inability to pass out of the body can worsen things. A wasteful liquid can spread through the part of the body close to the bladder or cause swelling in the arteries. As soon as you see the first symptoms of kidney stones, be sure to consult with your urologist in Bronx NY.
Common Causes of Kidney Stones
Surely the biggest cause of kidney stones is lack of water. When a person takes lesser water than he/she should, certain minerals don’t get washed out of the kidney. Drinking lesser than the recommended eight to ten glasses of water a day can give rise to kidney stones.
Uric acid is a component of urine and needs water to dilute it. Lack of adequate water makes the urine environment more acidic. This can lead to the formation of kidney stones as well. To avoid this, you should make a habit of drinking excessive amounts of water at different times of the day.
UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections), Crohn’s disease, renal tubular acidosis, medullary sponge kidney, hyperparathyroidism and Dent’s disease, all are linked to increasing kidney stone development chances.
Risk Factors Associated with Kidney Stones
Males are more prone to kidney stones than females. Most kidney stone sufferers get them between the ages of 30 and 50 but there is no hard and fast rule. A family history of kidney stones increases the risk of developing them for individuals.
When someone has had a kidney stone occurrence at any time in their life, chances of getting them again multiply. Drugs such as topiramate (Topamax) that is usually prescribed to treat migraine headaches and seizures have been found to boost kidney stone development.
Long term usage of vitamin D and calcium supplements can also boost chances of kidney stone development. These increase calcium levels in the body making minerals bind together and collect forming stones.
Protein heavy diets and sodium sufficient foods with lower calcium values also are linked to developing kidney stones in people. A natural inactive lifestyle also gives rise to kidney stones. High blood pressure and other conditions that may affect calcium absorption in the body such as gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic diarrhea can also boost kidney stone development. Be sure to visit your general practitioner in Bronx when you see symptoms. If your kidney stones start to hurt you in the kidney region, be sure to visit a qualified urologist in Bronx NY.
