Why do you get kidney stones?
The central aspect of stone formation is supersaturation. Just like a glass of salt water, a small amount of salt dissolves easily and as the amount of salt added increases, it will reach an equilibrium point of dissolution and crystallization, called the saturation point. If more salt is added, salt crystals will form and precipitate. This represents the basic process of stone formation.
The causes of kidney stone formation are complex, and many patients suffer from kidney stones without knowing the cause.
The main points are as follows.
1, living environment, climate relationship. In hot areas, sweating more, urine is easy to concentrate, the formation of kidney stones.
2, bad lifestyle. In daily life, too little exercise and too little activity are also prone to kidney stones. Therefore, the incidence of kidney stones is generally higher in urban than in rural areas.
3, the quality of drinking water is not good. In some areas, the drinking water is hard water, containing crystals and calcium is relatively high, so that people’s urine calcium increased, easy to form stones. In addition, the amount of water is too small, urine concentration, also easy to cause kidney stones.
4, bad dietary habits. Consumption of food containing oxalic acid and calcium is high, such as animal offal, spinach, tofu and other soy products, strong tea, wine, coffee, etc.. As well as food is too fine, eat more meat, eat vegetables and other foods containing fiber too small, also prone to kidney stones.
5, the body suffers from certain diseases, resulting in high blood calcium or high urinary calcium disease. Such as hyperparathyroidism, gout, fractures, paralysis, osteolytic bone tumors and other diseases can increase urinary calcium, which can easily form kidney stones. In addition, various causes of urinary tract obstruction causing urine depression and urinary tract infection also predispose to kidney stones.
What are the classifications of kidney stones?
1.Calcium oxalate stones
Most common, accounting for more than 80% of kidney stones, often yellowish brown or stone copper color, smooth surface (calcium oxalate monohydrate), rough (calcium oxalate dihydrate).
2.Calcium phosphate stones
They account for 6-9% of stones, and are white, rough, often antler-shaped, and hard in texture. The diet of calcium phosphate stones is the same as that of calcium oxalate stones. In the low phosphorus food, it is advisable to eat less meat, fish and bone broth.
3.Uric acid stones
They are smooth, often antler-shaped, yellow or brownish in color, hard in texture, and blurred or cannot be seen on X-rays. More common in gout patients, usually with a family history.
4, magnesium phosphate amine stones
10% of the stones, stones yellow or dirty gray, dendritic or antler-shaped, soft texture. More patients with urinary tract infection.
5.Cystine stones
They are rare, accounting for about 1%-2% of stones.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones?
It is usually in the abdomen, waist, back, and thighs. The pain caused by kidney stones is due to the blockage of the ureter by stones, causing ureteral spasm and increased pressure in the renal pelvis. The most obvious is that the pain will come on after exercise or labor, which is like a knife cut.
2. Blood in the urine. Called hematuria, it is mainly due to the abrasion of the mucous membrane of the renal pelvis and ureter during the movement of the stone in the urinary system, causing the capillaries to break. There are two types of hematuria, one is hematuria visible to the naked eye and is called carnal hematuria. The other kind of hematuria is invisible with the naked eye and can only be seen under the microscope, called microscopic hematuria.
3.Stone discharge in urine, especially after painful and hematuric episodes, small stones are discharged in urine.
4. Patients with kidney stones often experience nausea and vomiting during painful episodes.
What are the hazards of kidney stones?
1.Local damage: If the volume of kidney stones is small and active, the damage to local tissues is only slight; if the kidney stones are large and antler-shaped, it will lead to kidney fibrosis and the loss of epithelial cells in the renal pelvis and calyces.
2, urinary tract obstruction: stones blocking the renal pelvis and calyces can cause urinary tract obstruction, and long-term obstruction causes hydronephrosis.
3, kidney damage: If kidney stones appear long-term hydronephrosis, excessive pressure in the upper part of the obstruction, kidney shrinkage and shrinkage, kidney function damage, or even completely non-functional.
4, urinary tract infection: long-term obstruction and hydronephrosis will trigger cloudy urine, bacterial infection, and high fever, chills and even life-threatening if the obstruction is serious.
How to find kidney stones?
Routine urine examination. Ultrasound: Ultrasound can show the special acoustic shadow of stones, also can evaluate the situation of hydronephrosis caused by kidney stones, moreover, it can find stones that cannot be shown by X-ray examination. x-ray examination.
1. Urogram: Urogram is the most basic method to diagnose urinary tract stones. Based on the opaque X-ray shadows in the kidney area, a diagnosis of the presence or absence of stones can be made initially.
2.Intravenous urography: It can further confirm the relationship between the opaque X-ray shadow and the urinary tract on the X-ray plain film, in addition to the slower development of the upper urinary tract on the affected side; the enlarged kidney shadow; and the understanding of hydronephrosis.
3.CT examination is not necessary for all patients with urinary stones. CT examination can show the size and contour of kidney, kidney stones and hydronephrosis, and can also identify kidney cysts or hydronephrosis.
How to treat kidney stones?
1.Emergency symptom relief treatment: release ureteral spasm, pain relief, rehydration, anti-inflammatory, Chinese medicine treatment.
2.Lithotripsy treatment: stone diameter <0.6 cm, good kidney function, no co-infection, short duration of disease, and patients who can move are selected.
3.Lithotripsy treatment: taking drugs, drinking a lot of water, adjusting the PH value of urine, controlling the type of diet and other methods. Suitable for urate and cystine stones.
4.Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy – kidney stones less than 20mm in diameter.
5.Percutaneous nephrolithotomy lithotripsy: suitable for larger kidney stones, this method is the most commonly used method to treat larger kidney stones, solving big problems in a minimally invasive way, reducing patient pain and trauma.
6.Surgical treatment: According to different conditions, we can choose pelvic lithotomy, renal parenchymal lithotomy, partial nephrectomy, nephrectomy, etc. Traditional open surgery has been gradually eliminated due to the large trauma.
How to prevent kidney stones?
1. Take in plenty of fluids, 1.5-2 liters of water daily.
2.Control the intake of calcium and avoid excessive intake of calcium, but it is not prohibited.
3, stomach medicine often contains high amounts of calcium, if you suffer from calcium stones, you should choose a brand with less calcium when taking stomach medicine.
4, do not eat too much oxalate-rich foods, including beans, beets, celery, chocolate, grapes, peppers, parsley, spinach, strawberries and tea.
5, take magnesium and vitamin B6, can reduce the recurrence rate of 90%.
6, eat foods rich in vitamin A, can maintain the health of the lining of the urethra, but also help to avoid the recurrence of stones, such foods include: carrots, green cauliflower, melon, melon, beef liver, but high doses of vitamin A is toxic, it is best to consult a doctor before taking.
7.Keep active to avoid calcium deposits in the blood.
8, reduce the intake of protein, including meat, cheese, fish and chicken.
9.Reduce the intake of salt, and eat less of various foods high in salt.
10.Limit the amount of vitamin C, especially for patients with calcium oxalate stones.
11.Do not take too much vitamin D.
12.If you are a former patient and later feel any strong pain or blood in urine, please seek medical attention as soon as possible.
13. Patients should know the type of stones they have.