Kidney Stones: Definition, Causes, symptoms and Treatment

Kidney stones are composition of calcium oxalate compounds, these compounds crystallize together and stick to themselves on inner lining of kidney.

Kidney stones usually originate in kidney but can grow along with urinary tract.

Urinary tract consists of:

  • Kidney
  • Ureter
  • Bladder
  • Urethra

At initial, size of stone is small but gradually grows in size. Small size kidney stones pass through from body easily but cause severe pain while leaving body.

Causes

There are many things that cause kidney stones:

  1. Lack of water in body is most common symptom of stone. People who drink less than 8 glass water in a day suffer from this disease because water dilute uric acid, a component of urine so urine becomes more acidic. This type of stone is common in woman.
  2. Kidney Stones are composed of Calcium Oxalate. Eating more oxalate rich food increase risk of stones. High oxalate foods include Chips, Peanuts, Chocolate, spinach etc.
  3. Cystine Acid: Acid that occurs naturally in body and pass through from kidney to urine .This type of stone is common in both man and woman.
  4. Struvite Stone: These types of stones are result of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in woman. This infection passes from kidney to urine. Sometime these stones cause urine obstruction and become large without any indication.
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Symptoms

Kidney stone causes severe pain while passes into ureter (connector or tube by which urine passes from kidney to bladder) until then they are symptom free. Pain is on one side of back and in abdomen. Sometime this pain can be extreme. Symptoms are:

  1. Frequent urination
  2. Urination in small amount
  3. Blood in Urine
  4. Nausea
  5. Vomiting
  6. Fever
  7. Chills (cold)

Doctor says if stone remains in body for longer time causes uretra obstruction results in urine to remain in body and there are high risks of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Diagnosis & Treatment

If a person has stone in your family then there are chances you can also have a stone. If not then you have to consult a doctor. Doctor will perform tests depending on symptoms.

Various tests include:

  1. Computerized Tomography (CT) scan
  2. Ultrasound of Kidney
  3. Urine PH Test
  4. Urinalysis with Microscopy
  5. MRI scan of Abdomen and Kidney
  6. Blood Test for calcium and uric acid level

GrandMom’s Treatment at Home

  1. Drink enough water minimum 8 glass per day.
  2. Apple cider Vinegar: 2 to 3 tbsp of vinegar in one glass of filtered water is very effective. Vinegar also ease pain and flush out stone.
  3. Lemon Water.

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