Kidney Stones

Kidney stones (also called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) affect approximately 1 in 10 people (19 percent of men and 9 percent of women by age 70 years).

How kidney stones develop?

A kidney stone can form substances such as calcium, oxalate, cystine, or uric acid when they are at high levels in the urine. Stones can also form if these substances are at normal levels, especially if the amount of urine made each day is low. The substances form crystals, which become anchored in the kidney and gradually increase in size, forming a kidney stone.

Kidney stones usually get carried out of the body when you urinate. But sometimes they can get stuck on the way out. If that happens, the stones can cause:

• Pain in your side or in the lower part of your belly
• Blood in the urine (which can make urine pink or red)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain when you urinate
• The need to urinate in a hurry

Types of Kidney Stones?

There are many types of Kidney Stone.Most common are

1. Calcium Stones specially Calcium Oxalate Stones
2. Uric Acid Stone
3. Infection Stones

How do I know if I have kidney stones? 

If your doctor or nurse thinks you have kidney stones, he or she can order an imaging test that can show the stones.

How are kidney stones treated?   Each person’s treatment is a little different. The right treatment for you will depend on:

• The size, type, and location of your stone
• How much pain you have
• How much you are vomiting

Stones that do not pass on their own can be treated with:

• A machine that uses sound waves to break up stones into smaller pieces. This is called “shock wave lithotripsy.” This procedure does not involve surgery, but it can be painful.
• A special kind of surgery that makes very small holes in your skin. During this surgery, the doctor passes tiny tools through the holes and into the kidney. Then he or she removes the stone. This is called “percutaneous nephrolithotomy.”
• A thin tube that goes into your body the same way urine comes out. Doctors use tools at the end of the tube to break up or remove stones. This is called “ureteroscopy.”

What can I do to keep from getting kidney stones again? 

One simple thing you can do is to drink plenty of water. You might also need to change what you eat, depending on what your kidney stones were made of. If so, your doctor or nurse can tell you which foods to avoid. Your doctor or nurse might also prescribe you new medicines to keep you from having another kidney stone.