About one in ten people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. A kidney stone also called renal calculi is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. A stone can be as small as a grain of sand up to the size of a golf ball.
In most cases, a kidney stone will not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into the tubes connecting the kidneys and the bladder. When a kidney stone gets stuck in any tube, it could block the flow of urine and cause the kidney to swell which can be very painful. Some of the symptoms are sharp pain below the ribs in the side of the back, radiating pain to the lower abdomen and groin, and burning sensation while urinating. Some other observable signs are pink, red or brown urine, cloudy urine, urinary urgency, nausea and even fever.
Prevention
The most effective way to prevent most kidney stones is to drink enough fluids every day. Keep track of the amount of salt and meat (or animal protein) you consume. An excess of these in your diet can cause you to form stones more easily.
Your doctor may recommend a diet for you based on the composition of the stone so that, you can prevent getting any more stones.
If you have any underlying health conditions that predispose you to develop stones, your doctor might prescribe appropriate medication. If you have a kidney disease that requires you to limit fluid intake, ask your doctor how much fluid you should have each day.
Diagnosis And Evaluation Of Stone
To diagnose kidney stones, your doctor will compile your medical history, a physical exam, and lab and imaging tests.
Medical history
Your doctor will ask you about any conditions that make you more likely to develop a stone, any medication you are taking, or any history of having kidney stones and more.
Lab tests
Blood and urine tests can help to assess what type of kidney stones you have.
- Blood tests
A blood sample can show if you have high levels of certain minerals in your blood that can lead to kidney stones. - Urinalysis.
It can show whether your urine has any abnormalities such as blood or minerals that can form kidney stones.
The presence of white blood cells or bacteria can indicate that you have a urinary tract infection.
Imaging tests
These tests may show the size and location of the kidney stone and may reveal any underlying problems that caused a kidney stone to form.
- Abdominal x-ray
An abdominal x-ray uses low levels of radiation to create a picture of the abdomen. They can show the location of kidney stones in the urinary tract, but not all stones are visible in abdominal x-ray. - Computed tomography (CT) scans
These scans use a combination of x-rays and computer technology to form a comprehensive image of your kidneys and ureters. CT scans can help us visualise the size and location of a kidney stone, and determine if the stone is blocking the urinary tract.
Treatment
The treatment your doctor chooses to treat your kidney stone would depend on the size of the stone, whether it is blocking anything, what it is made of, and if it is causing pain. A urine or blood test or a CT scan may be conducted to understand the cause and select the right treatment.
If the kidney stone is small, you may be given pain killers and asked to drink plenty of water to help dissolve and pass the stone. If it’s larger, your doctor may recommend additional treatment.
Shock Wave Therapy: This treatment uses shock waves to break up the stones into smaller pieces. The smaller pieces of the kidney stone will pass through your urinary tract and out of your body with urine. This therapy takes about 45 minutes to one hour and may be done under general anaesthesia.
Ureteroscopy: The doctor uses a long tool to find stones and break them into small pieces and removes the stone, under general anaesthesia. A laser may be used to break the stone into pieces that are small enough to pass through your urine.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: This treatment is done rarely. During the surgery, a tube will be inserted directly into your kidney to remove the stone. After this procedure, you may need to be in the hospital for two to three days to recover.
