Kidney stones form when your kidneys cannot remove waste from your body because you do not have enough fluid to dilute it. Therefore, these wastes accumulate in the kidneys until they agglutinate and form the so-called stones.
Kidney stones are very common. There are people who frequently suffer from them since their body constantly produces them. There are four types of these kidney stones. Next, we will know a little more about them and we will also talk about their treatment.
Types of kidney stones
Kidney stones can be of different sizes, some as small as a grain of sand and others as large as a small marble. These stones remain in the kidneys, and in some cases travel through the ureters.
Let’s get to know the main types of kidney stones
- Calcium. They are the most common stones that are usually calcium or calcium oxalate.
- Of uric acid. They are stones formed when the urine is very acidic.
- Struvite. They are formed by infections that occur in the urinary tract due to ammonia made by bacteria.
- Of cystine. Formed by cystine, a substance produced naturally. They are usually very rare.
People at higher risk of kidney stones
Really, all people can get kidney stones, only that some are more prone than others. In the case of men, the odds are slightly higher than in women.
As for the race, the white dominates. However, there are other factors that can influence the appearance of the stones. These are:
- If a family member has kidney stones
- Drink little water
- Diet high in sodium or sugar
- Obesity and overweight
- Bypass surgery
- Renal disease
- Urine high in cystine, uric acid or calcium
- Joint swelling
- Swelling of the intestine
- Antacid and antidiuretic drugs
Symptoms
In some cases, you may have some kidney stones but you never realize it because they are very small and can easily move through the urinary tract without causing any symptoms.
In the case of having a larger stone, you may feel any of the following symptoms:
- Painful urination
- Presence of blood in the urine
- Pain in the abdomen or back
- Nausea and in some cases vomiting
Treatment
Treatment will depend on the size of the stone, the type of stone according to its formation, the pain caused, and whether or not it is blocking the urinary tract. To do this, you must do urinalysis and X-rays. If the stones are small you can take pain medication and drink water or other liquids so that the stone can be pushed into the urinary tract.
When the stones are large, there is the treatment of lithotripsy. In this one she uses shock waves to break the stones, a rigorous treatment that uses general anesthesia.
There is also another treatment called uretesoscopy, which also requires anesthesia. In this, through a tube, the doctor looks for the stone and will try to break it into smaller pieces so that it can pass through the urinary tract. There are extreme cases where surgery is needed to insert a direct tube into the kidney.
We recommend drinking plenty of fluids to prevent kidney stones. Try to avoid sodium and some animal proteins. And most importantly, go to the doctor so that he determines the type of stone you have and can indicate a more specific diet.