Rahi was just 16 years old when she had a ‘kidney stone attack’; she still vividly remembers the pain that she went through and the subsequent tests, treatments and medicines that she had to take.
Now 18 years old, she wonders whether she could have avoided the attack, if she knew more about it! There are millions like Rahi all over the world who lack in awareness regarding Kidney Stones. But unlike others, Rahi wants to know more about the problem, she wants to know what causes the stone formation and how one can prevent it.
To begin with, what are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are solid pieces of material that are formed in our kidney from the various substances found in our urine. There is no one single reason for the formation of Kidney stones in an individual; however the process for the formation of the stone is the same, wherein certain chemicals from the urine crystallize to form the kidney stone. This kidney stone is very small in the beginning and with time grows up to about the size of a golf ball!
What causes Kidney Stones?
There is no one reason as to why Kidney stones are formed, however there are a few reasons that have been identified as major reasons that can cause Kidney Stones:
Heredity: One of the major reasons why people suffer from Kidney stones is their genes! Kidney stones are mainly formed due to the accumulation of calcium from the urine and due to presence of excessive levels of calcium in one’s urine, this pre-disposition towards formation of kidney stones is passed down from generation to generation. This simply means that if your elders have suffered from Kidney stones, you too have higher chance of developing kidney stones.
Diet: Diet is still being debated as one of the causes of Kidney stone. The idea behind diet as a cause being that since calcium plays a major role in the formation of the stone; a diet which is high in calcium can lead to the formation of kidney stones in an individual.
Location: The location where you stay plays a major role in determining whether you will or will not develop kidney stones. While northern India is considered as a ‘stone-belt’ with a high number of cases being reported, it is primarily due to the diet structure, cold climate and poor fluid intake, that kidney stone plagues the northern population of India.
Underlying Illness: Often the very occurrence of Kidney stones points as a precursor to underlying chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disorder, cystic fibrosis and renal tubular acidosis. Often after a kidney stone attack, doctors prescribe testing the patient for the above mentioned conditions.
Why do Kidney Stones cause so much pain?
Kidney stones don’t cause pain in the beginning when they are formed as they are very tiny; in fact they are even smaller than a grain of sand! Which leads people to wonder how such a tiny object can cause so much pain, but the truth is that the size of the stone does really matter, what matters is where it is located, as it is the location that is the cause of the pain rather than the size of the stone.
A kidney stone is formed in the kidney as long as the stone stays in the kidney it does not give any trouble or pain to the individual. The problem begins when the stone is transported from the kidney into the ureter – which is a tube that transports urine to the bladder. The human ureter is about 4-5 millimeters in width and the stone acts as a barrier for the urine. All this while the kidneys continue to produce urine normally and due to the presence of the stone in the ureter acting as a dam, the pressure keeps on building in the kidneys and causes the kidneys to swell. It is this swelling in the kidneys due to the stone that causes the often unbearable pain!
What are the symptoms of Kidney stones?
- A sudden onset of nauseating and intense pain in the left flank which starts from the mid-groin region, which tends to increase and decrease in its intensity, but doesn’t go away till the stone is passed through urine.
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Presence of blood in the urine
- A burning sensation while urinating
What do I do to prevent Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones cause pain only when they begin obstructing the flow of urine. But you would be surprised to know of the simple precautions that you need to exercise in order to prevent the formation of Kidney stones.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Drinking 1.5 liters of water is the minimum requirement if you want to avoid developing kidney stones, as water helps the body to flush out the toxins and substances that can cause kidney stones.
You would be well advised to cut down on your coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks intake to about 1-2 per day, as these act as diuretics and can make your body lose water in a much faster manner, thereby increasing your chances of developing a kidney stone.- You might even be advised to modify your diet, if it is found to contain a lot of calcium, which is one of the main reasons for the formation of Kidney stones.
- Drinking coconut water is also known to help in breaking down of the prevalent kidney stones and also helps to prevent the formation of new ones.
How do I treat my kidney stone?
The best way to treat Kidney stones is by drinking plenty of water and taking pills that will ease the pain and also help dissolve the stone. If the stones are too big to be dissolved, one has to resort to surgery*. *There are 3 types of surgeries to remove Kidney Stones – Shock wave, Tunnel Surgery, Uteroscope.
We hope that this information helps Rahi understand Kidney Stones, a whole lot better and also gives her tips on how she can prevent any more kidney stone attacks in the future.
