Anyone who's ever had a kidney stone will tell you there's nothing else like the mind-numbing, excruciating pain. Sometimes a patient will have a single stone and then never have a recurrence. Other times, patients will have kidneys full of stones, or stone after stone.
"Based on scientific data, kidney stones affect about 1 in 10 adults," says Robert Yenchek, MD, a nephrologist at Сòòò½APP.
Kidney stones are a common health concern. About in the U.S. have kidney stones at least once during their lifetime. Here's what you need to know about these tiny, painful deposits.
What are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones, also called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, are solid crystals that form and grow in the urinary system under the right conditions.
"They can grow to be various sizes and can differ in chemical composition, with calcium-based kidney stones being the most common," Yenchek says.
In adults, kidney stones sometimes pass through the urinary tract on their own if they are small enough without the need for intervention. But sometimes the stone is large enough and will impair urine flow, leading to pain and blood in the urine. It may also impact kidney function or cause an infection. Larger stones can cause serious health complications.
Causes
Several factors contribute to the formation of kidney stones, which form because of an imbalance in urine chemistry.
"The kidneys' job is to process the blood to rid it of waste products and rebalance the body's water and electrolytes," Yenchek explains. "It does this by producing urine, which is ideally composed of that which the body doesn't need. Urine can sometimes be relatively concentrated compared to the blood, which can favor crystal formation and growth."
Some of the proteins, electrolytes, and molecules in the urine promote the formation of kidney stones, while others inhibit formation. The balance between promotion and inhibition depends on a person's genetics, diet, medications, medical conditions, and anatomy, as well as environmental factors. In most cases, no single thing causes kidney stones. Instead, it's a combination of factors.
Symptoms
Once you've had a painful kidney stone, you'll probably never mistake the symptoms again. These symptoms can include:
- Mild to severe pain in the lower back and/or side
- Pain that occurs in waves
- Painful urination
- Blood in the urine
- Passing gravel or a stone in the urine
Not everyone experiences all the symptoms of a kidney stone. Unfortunately, the most common symptom is extreme pain.
Treatment
The treatment for an obstructing kidney stone varies depending on the size of the stone and how it's affecting the patient. Treatment of such stone events is usually handled by a urologist, using these methods:
- Pain control: Medications can be prescribed to help control the pain associated with a passing kidney stone.
- Medical therapy: Medication can be prescribed to relax the urinary tract when a patient is passing a kidney stone.
- Surgical intervention: In some cases, surgical intervention may be needed. Those instances include when a kidney stone doesn't pass on its own, if the patient is in severe pain, if it causes an infection, or if it affects kidney function.
Prevention
Preventing kidney stones is possible. A patient who has recurrent kidney stone events may be advised by their doctor to take these prevention methods:
- Evaluation. Understanding the cause of the kidney stones is the first step. A patient may be evaluated for any special risk factors, the type of stone, associated medical conditions, medications they’re currently taking, diet, and environmental factors. Patients may be asked to conduct a 24-hour urine collection, which is helpful for understanding the unique urine chemistry for that patient.
- Genetic testing. In recent years, genetic testing has become more widely available, proving helpful in certain patients. Some have kidney stone Сòòò½APP starting at an early age, unusual urine chemistry patterns, or very frequent stone events.
- Dietary therapy. This is the bedrock therapy for kidney stone prevention. For example, appropriate fluid intake and a reduced sodium diet, among other dietary changes, are helpful for most patients. Sometimes dietary changes alone are enough to reduce a patient’s likelihood of forming stones. They can also amplify the beneficial effects of any medications used to prevent kidney stones.
- Medication. In some cases, medications may be prescribed to help influence the urine chemistries.
- Additional screening. A kidney stone history may also indicate other health issues, such as bone Сòòò½APP, so additional screening may be needed.
A kidney stone prevention specialist, such as a nephrologist, can be helpful for understanding the cause of kidney stones and developing a comprehensive plan for reducing the chance of future kidney stones.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Developing Another Kidney Stone
If you’ve had a kidney stone once, you are more likely to have another one in the future. In fact, without making lifestyle changes, there’s a 50 percent chance of forming a new stone within five years. Urologist Dr. Gary Faerber talks about lifestyle changes you can make to prevent another kidney stone from forming.
