Is this Kidney Stones?
March 21, 2023
If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know they can be painful. That’s certainly not always the case, but for more than half a million people every year it means a trip to the emergency department. About one in 11 people will have a kidney stone in their lifetime.
A kidney stone is a hard object made from minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. When there is too much waste and not enough liquid, crystals begin to form. The crystals attract other elements and form a solid that will get bigger unless it is passed out of the body with urine. Once stones are formed, they either stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract to be expelled. If a stone is too large, it may cause a backup of urine in the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. At this point, a person will likely begin to feel pain.
There are four types of stones:
Calcium oxalate is the most common type of kidney stone and is created when calcium and oxalate combine in the urine. If you don’t intake enough calcium and fluids, it may help in their formation.
Uric acid is another common type of stone. They are caused by a high purine intake. Purine is a natural chemical compound found in meats and shellfish. Uric acid stones tend to run in families.
Struvite is a less common stone caused by infections in the upper urinary tract.
Cystine stones are rarer and tend to be genetic.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a kidney stone tend to correlate to the size of the stone. Some stones are as small as a grain of sand, you may not notice it at all, while others can be as large as a pebble or even a golf ball!
Symptoms may include:
- Severe pain on either side of the lower back
- Pain in the stomach, lower abdomen, groin, or genital area
- Blood in the urine
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever and chills
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Burning sensation during urination
Diagnosis of a kidney stone is conducted through a physical exam and health history. Diagnosis also may include a urine test, blood test, and diagnostic imaging including low-dose CT scans and ultrasound.
Treatment
The treatment for a stone depends on the size and type of the stone, as well as if it’s causing pain or blocking the urinary tract.
Small stones may simply require drinking more fluids to help push the stone through the urinary tract.
If the stone is larger there are several treatment options a provider might recommend:
Lithotripsy – this treatment uses shock waves to break up the kidney stone into small pieces. The small pieces of the stone will pass through the urinary tract and out through urine. The treatment usually takes about an hour, under general anesthesia.
Ureteroscopy – the physician will insert a long tube into the ureter to take out the stone or break it into small pieces to pass through the urinary tract and out through urine.
Surgery – this is done in rare cases. During the surgery, the physician will insert a tube into the kidney to remove the stone.
Risk factors
Anyone can get a kidney stone, but they are more prevalent in white men. Some of the risk factors for developing a stone include:
- Previous stones
- Family history of kidney stones
- Not enough intake of water
- High protein, sodium, or sugar intake
- Being overweight
- Surgery on intestines
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Certain medications like diuretics or calcium-based antacids.
Prevention
About 50% of the people who develop a stone are apt to get another within 5 to 7 years. Kidney stones increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. To avoid stones, some steps to consider:
- Drink enough water
- Eat more fruits and vegetables and less animal protein
- Reduce salt in your diet
Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about making any dietary changes if you’ve had a stone or think you’re at high risk for getting a stone.
If you think you have a stone but aren’t sure, contact your physician’s office. In addition, Trinity Health Of New England’s Stone Program works with patients who seek treatment and are discharged from the emergency room. The program offers a multidisciplinary team approach to treating patients with kidney stones, with providers available in both Hartford and Waterbury. To talk to the Stone Program Nurse Navigator or to learn more, call (860) 707-3280.