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Last posts on private forums:  sare  2008-06-16 09:56:33 matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:59 pieniadz 2008-04-12 20:52:26
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Last posts on private blogs: matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:17 mary 2008-04-12 19:27:47 |
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Lastly added medical terms:
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You are in: Main Page / Medical articles / Diseases / Kidney Stones Treatment
Kidney stones and their treatment are the subject of this article which tells how to prevent from kidney stones, what medications to take and how to find relief from pain. It also tells what therapy works best and what are the symptoms of kidney stones.
Kidney stones are also called renal calculi, these are the crystal aggregations of dissolved minerals in the urine, they usually accumulated in the bladder or the kidneys.
Causes
They form when the urine contains too much of a certain substance, the substances create small crystals which become stones. When the urine is diluted the substances get removed but when the urine is dense the minerals create crystals and stones afterwards. They develop slowly and may even be unnoticed until they cause pain. The size of the stone determines the treatment, e.g. stones smaller than 5mm in diameter are very likely to pass on their own, larger than 5 mm stones urological procedures can be essential for an effective removal of the stone. If an urinary tract is totally obstructed, a patient may require surgical intervention. It's good to know that you can prevent yourself from the development of kidney stones by drinking plenty of water and changing the diet. Doctors suggest patients drink 3 liters of mineral water and a glass of home-made lemonade with lemon juice.
Types of stones:
- calcium stones - usually appear in women between ages 20-30 and they are likely to come back. Calcium is combined with other substances such as oxalate, phosphate or carbonate which form the stone.
- cystine stones - in people who have cystinuria
- struvite stones - they occur in women who have infection of the urinary tract
- uric acid - they are affecting men more often than women, with gout or chemotherapy
- nausea and vomiting
Symptoms
The symptoms include abdominal pain, blood in the urine, strange urinal color, excess urination, back pain and flank pain, painful urination or urinary urgency or inability to urinate. Passing kidney stones often causes excruciating pain.
Risk factors
First of all, people with family history of kidney stones are more likely to suffer from this disease than others.
Lack of fluids - if you don't drink enough water and your urine is of high concentration you're at high risk of getting kidney stones
High-protein and high-sodium diet increases the risk of getting kidney stones.
Sedentary lifestyle makes people more prone to getting kidney stones, those who are obese are also more likely to have it.
High blood pressure increases the risk of getting the stones in the bladder.
Treatment
Doctors need to carry out several blood and urine tests in order to diagnose the disease. Urinary tests enable checking the type of stones, which is especially needed for choosing proper medication. The main goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and prevent from developing the disease once again. Some people with severe symptoms might need to be hospitalized. If the stone passes, it has to be kept and tested in order to determine its type.
Doctors prescribe medicines which break down the stones and remove the material which forms them. The medications may include antibiotics, diuretics, phosphate solutions and sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate. Sometimes a surgery is needed for stones which don't want to pass on their own.
If patients suffer from severe pain, doctors prescribe painkillers (even morphine for severe pain). Patients are advised to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses a day, the best fluid is water.
An alternative to surgery procedure is called lithotriopsy, it involves using ultrasound waves and shock waves to break up stones. The stones can be excreted in the urine or removed with an endoscope.
Added by:
mary
not connected with health care system
Added on:
2008-07-16 13:23:29 ,
Updated:
2008-07-16 13:26:43
Bibliography:
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