Blog #1 What is a Kidney Stone?

What is a Kidney Stone?

Let's begin with a bit of anatomy and physiology.  What is a Kidney and what does it do?  Kidney Stone Video

Kidneys are bean shaped organs located in the human body that filter hundreds of liters of fluid from the bloodstream every day. This means the kidney acts much like a water filtration system to purify one's blood and remove waste products.  They act to regulate the quantity or volume of blood in the body and allow for a  properly balance  with regard to pH (acids and bases) and water and salt. The filtration process is very complex, with many interconnected mechanisms and structures which creates the end result of urine to be excreted by the body.  The biggest risk factor for getting a kidney stone is that a person does not drink enough water/fluids to produce 1 liter or 4.23 cups  per day of urine.


According to the National Institute Health, kidney stones form in the urine when there is too much of a particular substance in the bloodstream; the "stones' are actually crystals.  Excess substances such as calcium, oxalate, strovate or uric acid in the bloodstream are common causes of kidney stones.

The relative size of a kidney stone is shown in these 2 photos.

Pictured,  a drawing to show where kidney stones can be found, both in the kidney and in the ureter.  A magnified crystal is also shown.

What are the symptoms of a Kidney Stone? 

Knowing the Symptoms of a Kidney Stone 

According to Davita,  an online resource and community for kidney disease,  symptoms of kidney stones typically are not present until there is pain when urinating and pain where the kidneys are located on one's side under the ribs or in the lower back. The pain is known to move as he stone moves through the urinary system. Other kidney stone symptoms are:

• Bloody or cloudy urine that has a bad smell
• Abnormal urine color
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Chills
• Burning, painful sensation when urinating

It is important that medical treatment is sought if any of these symptoms are present. Early intervention of kidney stones can prevent future diseases and complications such as chronic kidney disease or even renal failure.  If kidney function is lost, a person would then require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

 

What is the diagnosis and treatment for a Kidney Stone?

According to the National Institutes of Health, a kidney stone diagnosis  involves urinalysis,  blood tests, kidney function tests, and radiology tests like :

• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal/kidney MRI
• Abdominal x-rays
• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
• Kidney ultrasound
• Retrograde pyelogram

Kidney stones are composed of different substances and thus may require different types of treatment. Some forms of treatment do not require surgical intervention; others do. Some stones may be passed through the urinary tract by increased water consumption of up to 2-3 quarts a day. If the stone is too large of difficult to pass naturally, causes bleeding or physical damage to the urinary system, may require alternative and more aggressive treatment with medications such as:

• Allopurinol 
• Antibiotics
• Diuretics
• Phosphate solutions
• Sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate
• Water pills 

More aggressive interventions to include surgery include:

• Shock waves that are sent directly to the kidney stone. 

• Nephrolithotomy:

• Ureteroscopic kidney stone removal
   
  
  Recovering from a kidney stone intervention may be 1-2 weeks with medicine if no surgery was performed; it may take 6 weeks to fully recover from an invasive removal of the stones. There is a 50% chance of recurrence within 5 years of the kidney stone removal.
  
   

Prevention of Kidney Stones

• prevent future stones by preventing urinary tract infections
• drink plenty of water
• reduced sodium in diet
• limit animal protein
• avoid stone forming foods (beets, rhubarb, chocolate, spinach, teas, nuts)
• adequate calcium intake

Sources:

National Institutes of Health 

National Kidney Foundation

Davita, online Kidney Disease community 

Urology Care Foundation