Signs & medication of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones, or renal calculi, are solid masses made of crystals. Kidney stones usually originate in your kidneys, but can develop anywhere along your urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Kidney stones are known to be one of the most painful medical conditions. The causes of kidney stones vary according to the type of stone.

Different types of kidney stones include:

Calcium

Calcium stones are the most common. They can be made of calcium oxalate (most common), phosphate, or maleate. Eating fewer oxalate-rich foods can reduce your risk of developing this type of stone. High-oxalate foods include potato chips, peanuts, chocolate, beets, and spinach.

Uric Acid

This type of kidney stone is more common in men than in women. They can occur in people with gout or those going through chemotherapy. This type of stone develops when urine is too acidic. A diet rich in purines can increase urine’s acidic level. Purine is a colorless substance in animal proteins, such as fish, shellfish, and meats.

Struvite

This type of stone is found mostly in women with urinary tract infections. These stones can be large and cause urinary obstruction. These stones are caused by a kidney infection. Treating an underlying infection can prevent the development of struvite stones.

Cystine

Cystine stones are rare. They occur in both men and women who have the genetic disorder cystinuria. With this type of stone, cystine — an acid that occurs naturally in the body — leaks from the kidneys into the urine.

Signs of a Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are known to cause severe pain. Symptoms of kidney stones may not occur until the stone begins to move down the ureters. This severe pain is called renal colic. You may have pain on one side of your back or abdomen. In men, pain may radiate to the groin area. The pain of renal colic comes and goes, but can be intense. People with renal colic tend to be restless.

Other symptoms of kidney stones can include:

• blood in the urine (red, pink, or brown urine)


• vomiting


• nausea


• discolored or foul-smelling urine


• chills


• fever


• frequent need to urinate


• urinating small amounts of urine

In the case of a small kidney stone, you may not have any pain or symptoms as the stone passes through your urinary tract.

Medication

Pain relief may require narcotic medications. The presence of infection requires treatment with antibiotics. Other medications include:

• allopurinol for uric acid stones


• diuretics


• sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate


• phosphorus solutions

Lithotripsy

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses sound waves to break up large stones so they can more easily pass down the ureters into your bladder. This procedure can be uncomfortable and may require light anesthesia. It can cause bruising on the abdomen and back and bleeding around the kidney and nearby organs.

Tunnel Surgery (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy)

Stones are removed through a small incision in your back and may be needed when:

• the stone causes obstruction and infection or is damaging the kidneys


• the stone has grown too large to pass


• pain cannot be controlled

Ureteroscopy

When a stone is stuck in the ureter or bladder, your doctor may use an instrument called a ureteroscope to remove it. A small wire with a camera attached is inserted into the urethra and passed into the bladder. A small cage is used to snag the stone and remove it. The stone is then sent to the laboratory for analysis.