Kidney Stone Overview

Kidney stones are solid particles that form when salt and minerals stick and crystallize together in the urine. If you have kidney stones, you will experience excruciating pain. In most cases, the patient emits kidney stones naturally with urination. However, if your kidney stones are very large and are not emitted, you may need medical intervention.

More common in men than in women, kidney stones generally strike people who are between the ages of 30 and 60 years and have a family history of kidney stones. The condition, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a common problem and affects 10% of the population in the US. It has been found that people living in the southern parts of the United States are more prone to develop kidney stones. Recently kidney stones are also showing up in children. Kidney stone is a recurring problem.

Small stones in the kidney often do not cause any problem. But once the stones move in your urinary tract, you can experience extreme and sudden pain in the back and sides. Occurrence of kidney stones can result in its damage and urinary tract infection. You can have severe pain and might require narcotic painkillers.

Kidney stones occur more often in those who don’t drink enough water. Those suffering from kidney stones can experience severe pain in their back or sides and experience intense burning when they try to urinate. Other symptoms of kidney stones are blood in urine, nausea, vomiting and cloudy or foul smelling urine and loss of appetite.

Kidney stones form when urine is very rich with minerals, acid salts, and these materials stick together in the urine. More often, the stone passes out of the kidney into the ureter, the tube connecting the kidney and bladder, where it gets trapped, making it very painful to urinate.

If you have a history of kidney stones, you should drink enough water and avoid dehydration. If your doctor suspects the occurrence of kidney stones, he or she will recommend certain imaging tests, such as ultrasound, X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scan. These tests stand in good stead in determining the size and location of your stone and are used in determining whether your stone may pass spontaneously or require more aggressive treatment.

Various types of treatments are available for kidney stones. The type of treatment you will undergo depends on the size and location of the stone. The measures you can take to relieve the symptoms include drinking a lot of water and having drinks with a strong natural lemon element, which helps promote passing the stone and prevent stones from forming.

Due to its size or location, some stones may not be able to pass without aggressive medical intervention. If your stone is large and at a higher level in the ureter, then your doctor may use lithotripsy, or shock wave therapy (EWSL), to break up the stone. The urologist may prescribe ureteroscopy when the stone is located at a place where lithotripsy cannot work.