Get Rid of Most Painful of the Kidney Stones

Animals consume fresh water daily for their bodies to function well, which they acquire from drinking water and other fluids directly, as well as through the food they eat. This water helps regulate the blood flow in the organisms while also flushing out the toxins that get formed through metabolism. The extra water is lost through transpiration from the skin and passing urine via the action of kidneys. Hence, kidneys are one of the most important organs in our bodies, and their dysfunction can pose major hurdles in our daily routines.

The basic functionality of kidneys is to receive blood and then get rid of the waste, while also adjusting excessive salts, minerals and water. The purified blood is flowed back from the kidneys, to be recirculated in the body. The waste is turned into urine by some compositional changes which are drained down ureters from funnel-shaped kidney pelvis, collected in the bladder and expelled from the urethra. This entire mechanism is called the urinary tract. Now, this seemingly simple process can also get obstructed if any of the passages in the tract gets blocked via kidney stones.

Kidney stones aka nephrolithiasis/renal calculi/urolithiasis/ureterolithiasis can form due to many reasons, the most common being dehydration. Though there are very many ways to prevent the formation of kidney stones in the urinary tract given varying circumstances, they still are quite a common occurrence in humans due to our sheerly disruptive lifestyles. The incidence of kidney stones is increasing globally with as high as a 15% prevalence rate annually. Research showed that among women and men during their lifetimes, there is an approximate 7% and 13% chance respectively to develop kidney stones. Another study showed that once a person develops a kidney stone, the chances of developing another in the next 10 years are as high as 50%.

Kidney stone pain aka renal colic is documented as one of the most painful experiences for humans and has often been placed akin to childbirth or a knife stab. Kidney stones can vary in size, ranging from as tiny as a grain of sand to as huge as a golf ball. The common symptoms of kidney stones are mentioned below:

1. Severe and sharp pain in back, abdomen, groin or sides below the ribs, often resulting in ER
• The excruciating/colicky pain can cause nausea/vomiting/fevers/chills
2. Bloodstains in urine (haematuria) as large stones get trapped in and rupture the ureters
3. Painful urination or excessive/lack of urine production
4. Stinky or cloudy appearance of urine

It is up to a quarter less probable for kidney stones to form in kids as against adults, but it is possible for similar reasons. It might be a little tricky to diagnose it at an early stage for kids as they might not communicate it due to a lack of understanding of the situation or otherwise. Kids with asthma have four times higher chances of developing kidney stones. Kidney stones dissolve by themselves and are best treated when detected early, before any severe complication. Kidney stones can be detected via the below-mentioned tests:

Imaging tests such as CT scans, sonography/ultrasound, MRI and X-rays detect the exact location, size as well as number of kidney stones which help decide the course of treatment.

• Blood tests for kidney/renal function look for infection or biochemical imbalance.
• Urine culture or urinalysis also tries to detect infection while also analysing the substances in urine that might form kidney stones.
• Ureteroscopy can be used to identify the condition in ureters with the help of an endoscope inserted in the bladder.
• A kidney biopsy may be done to inspect a piece of the kidney under the microscope.
• Urodynamics can be used if there are symptoms of infection in the lower urinary tract (LUTS).

Kidney stones that are small in size (up to 4 mm) usually dissolve and expel themselves out of the system in around 2 weeks, even if they are numerous. The larger stones might need a month to break down and exit the system completely. Once the stones are in the bladder, it’s comparatively risk-free and the expulsion time is lower, but it’s important to track the time elapsed since the detection. For very large stones, rigorous medication or even surgery could be advised. The following treatment can be followed for treating kidney stones:

• In the case of children, a non-invasive approach is followed in the form of shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). The kid is typically sedated while placed in a water tub or surgical table and the kidney stones are treated with specific frequency sound waves to break them down below the size of 4mm.
• Pain can be treated through painkillers in IV fluid or oral OTC tabs to make the natural process bearable.
• Ureter relaxation medicines such as tamsulosin or nifedipine can be administered for easy passage of stones.
• Ureteroscopy is the process of inserting through the urethra a small instrument called a ureteroscope, which leads up to the ureter to either remove the stones in a basket by surgery or break down the stones with laser, if possible.
• Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy is a highly invasive procedure that is only performed if none of the aforementioned procedures can be used as in the case of multiple or very large stones. The procedure involves making an incision on the back and directly inserting a tube in the kidney which breaks apart the stone(s) and sucks it out. An artificial tube is placed between the kidneys and the bladder for a week to allow the incision to heal and help pass urine without obstruction in the meantime. The patient is usually kept under overnight observation for the chance of any unwarranted complications.
• Open Stone surgery is performed in less than 1% of the cases, wherein a larger cut is administered than percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
  

People with certain pre-existing medical conditions are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones and should practice utmost care and caution in their dietary habits.

• One of the best ways to avoid or even cure kidney stones is through the beverage for kidney stones by Moonstone Nutrition.
• Some crucial lifestyle changes are welcome to prevent kidney stones as the most common incidence is seen in the age group of 20-50.
• People with frequent dehydration episodes are most prone to being a victim of kidney crystals.
• Then there have been many recorded cases of kidney stones in the obese populace, which is very high in developed countries such as the USA.
• Some cases of developing kidney stones have been seen in pregnant women due to hormonal imbalances such as increased progesterone leading to the slower passage of urine. Another reason could be low fluid intake due to decreased bladder capacity.
• People with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcers) are also prone to developing kidney stones.

Kidney stones can be easily prevented as discussed above. Some uncommon remedies for dissolvingkidney stones include drinking coffee which is high in antioxidants, cranberry juice which is good for UTI, drinking beer (not too many though). These regimens help pass urine frequently which help expel the stones quicker.