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Kidney Stones - What Possibly Can Cause Them?

Dr. Neeraj Gupta 90% (156 ratings)
MBBS, MS - General Surgery, DNB - Urology/Genito - Urinary Surgery
Urologist, Bhopal
Kidney Stones - What Possibly Can Cause Them?

Hard, crystalline deposits in the kidney which cause pain in the stomach are known as a kidney stones. The condition is common among people between the ages of 30 to 60. Made of various minerals and salts present in the urine, they stick conjunctly to form small pebbles which circulate in the kidney. Medically known as nephrolithiasis, kidney stones are also referred to as renal colic, in advanced stages, when they tend to cause severe pain.

Causes of kidney stones:

Kidney stones are essentially made of calcium, ammonia, uric acid and cysteine. Such superfluous products when present in the blood, occasionally form crystals that accumulate inside the kidneys. With time, those crystals form a hard pebble-like chunk which eventually lead to kidney stones.

Not drinking sufficient fluids is often attributed as a common cause for kidney stones. Yet oftentimes, certain medications that you may use also tend to increase the levels of unwanted substance in the urine. Once formed, the kidney stones pass through the urinary system (namely the bladder, kidneys and their tubules) where sometime they get stuck, consequently leading to the condition.

Some tiny stones go unsuspected and pass out painlessly during urination. But quite fairly, kidney stones obstruct a part of the urinary system which include:

  1. Ureter: the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder

  2. Urethra: the final tube from which the urine passes

Such obstructions can cause grievous pain in the groin and abdomen and at times, lead to UTI (urinary tract infection). Urinary tract infections affect the kidneys, tubes and the bladder and cause discomfort and pain. Also, a grievous data estimates that around half the people who experience kidney stones are likelier to face them again within the subsequent 5 years.

Treatment:

Most kidney stones are miniscule and they smoothly pass through your urine. Yet some become large and require medications at home. Even larger stones require ultrasound or laser energy to be shattered. Keyhole surgery (a minimally invasive surgery that is carried out with the help of an incision, very small in size and with the help of special techniques and instruments such as fibre optics) may be also opted for as an alternative treatment.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

3382 people found this helpful

Kidney Stones - What Are The Signs Of It?

Dr. Preeti Bansal 87% (104 ratings)
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, DNB - MEdicine, DNB- Nephrology
Nephrologist, Gurgaon
Kidney Stones - What Are The Signs Of It?

As we all are aware that waste products in the blood are passed through urine. This filtering process is done by the kidneys as it separates the waste products including minerals and salts, which have to be passed out through urine. Many times, these minerals and salts get stuck in your urinary tract and over a long period, this forms kidney stones. They can vary in size from a ping pong ball to the size of a sugar crystal. They are not noticed till the time they cause a blockage. Sometimes, they cause immense pain if they start breaking or are pushed into the ureters (narrow ducts which lead to the bladder).

Symptoms of kidney stones:
1. Immense pain in the groin, belly and back.
2. Pain while urinating and urination occurring frequently.
3. Blood found in the urine (haematuria).
4. Vomiting and nausea.
5. Feeling extremely restless and not being able to lie still.

Kidney stones can also cause a kidney infection. Signs of a kidney infection include:
Kidney stones can also cause infection in the kidneys as they block the passage of urine to the bladder by blocking the ureters. This leads to build up of the waste product which can result in an infection. Some of the symptoms of kidney infections could be:

1. Feeling chilly and shivering on your skin.
2. High temperature of 100.4 F (38C) or more.
3. A feeling of fatigue or weakness.
4. Immense diarrhea
5. Bad smelling and cloudy urine.

Types of Kidney stones:

1. Struvite stones: It contains ammonia and magnesium. It is usually quite large and horn-shaped.
2. Uric acid stones: Brown, smooth and softer than other kinds of kidney stones.
3. Cystine stones: They are yellow and don’t look like stones. They usually resemble crystal.
4. Calcium stones: It is composed of calcium.

What causes kidney stones?

Kidney stones can occur due to several factors. It usually forms when urine generally contains crystal substances like uric acid, calcium and oxalate. Your urine might not be able to dilute these substances resulting in the perfect environment for the formation of kidney stones. In case you are showing any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should visit your doctor immediately before the problem can worsen.

1051 people found this helpful

Kidney Stones - Causes & Symptoms Of It!

Masters in Surgery, Diploma in Urology, C.H.M- Urology
Urologist, Vadodara
Kidney Stones - Causes & Symptoms Of It!

Hard, crystalline deposits in the kidney which cause pain in the stomach are known as a kidney stones. The condition is common among people between the ages of 30 to 60. Made of various minerals and salts present in the urine, they stick conjunctly to form small pebbles which circulate in the kidney. Medically known as nephrolithiasis, kidney stones are also referred to as renal colic, in advanced stages, when they tend to cause severe pain.

Causes of Kidney Stones:

Kidney stones are essentially made of calcium, ammonia, uric acid and cysteine. Such superfluous products when present in the blood, occasionally form crystals that accumulate inside the kidneys. With time, those crystals form a hard pebble-like chunk which eventually lead to kidney stones.

Not drinking sufficient fluids is often attributed as a common cause for kidney stones. Yet oftentimes, certain medications that you may use also tend to increase the levels of unwanted substance in the urine. Once formed, the kidney stones pass through the urinary system (namely the bladder, kidneys and their tubules) where sometime they get stuck, consequently leading to the condition.

Some tiny stones go unsuspected and pass out painlessly during urination. But quite fairly, kidney stones obstruct a part of the urinary system which include:

  1. Ureter: the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder

  2. Urethra: the final tube from which the urine passes

Such obstructions can cause grievous pain in the groin and abdomen and at times, lead to UTI (urinary tract infection). Urinary tract infections affect the kidneys, tubes and the bladder and cause discomfort and pain.

Also, a grievous data estimates that around half the people who experience kidney stones are likelier to face them again within the subsequent 5 years.

Treatment:

Most kidney stones are miniscule and they smoothly pass through your urine. Yet some become large and require medications at home. Even larger stones require ultrasound or laser energy to be shattered. Keyhole surgery (a minimally invasive surgery that is carried out with the help of an incision, very small in size and with the help of special techniques and instruments such as fibre optics) may be also opted for as an alternative treatment.

2986 people found this helpful

7 Ways Restaurant Food Can Kill You Slowly but Surely

Dt. Kavita Agarwal 90% (1565 ratings)
M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition, Diploma in Food & Nutrition & Diabetic Educator , B.Sc. - Home Science
Dietitian/Nutritionist, Pune
7 Ways Restaurant Food Can Kill You Slowly but Surely

Nowadays, people just don't feel like cooking at home. Ordering takeout is the way to go today. It has become a regular part of your diet. But it is extremely detrimental to your health. You may lick your fingers and savor the moment after that lip smacking bucket of fried chicken or the burger you just polished off, but in the long run, a whole lot of health problems are going to follow suit.

  1. Restaurant food is extremely fattening and can raise your cholesterol levels sky high. Obesity is now a major modern health problem, which is affecting children since the young age. In adults, it increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. To our brain, this food is often very rewarding, and we tend to overeat as a result.
  2. The meat in your burger is so laden with artificial chemicals, that it is hardly nutritive. It is essentially scrap meat that is fattened up and flavored to suit your taste buds. It contains high amounts of ammonia, a chemical that is found in your bathroom cleaning liquid and that is hardly fit for human consumption.
  3. It is extremely addictive, where the more frequently you eat it, the more you crave it, until you lose all self-control. If you eat restaurant food more than once a week, you have fallen prey to the most common trend of today.
  4. Restaurant chains are nowadays trying to lure customers with healthier options like salads or soups, but they're hardly healthy and are instead full of preservatives
  5. The desserts and sodas that you love are full of artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is hardly nutritious and only adds to energy levels, which when not burnt off lead to all the oodles of fat in your belly. It can also increase your resistance to insulin.
  6. A lot of the ingredients in restaurant food are processed foods that contain artificial chemicals like colorants, preservatives, artificial flavors and textures. Its harmful nature can never be stressed upon enough.
  7. Eating refined flour on a regular basis is a big no-no. Its carbohydrates are difficult for the digestive tract to break down, once again leading it to being accumulated. Don't get mislead by promises of 'whole grain' items; for even they are whole grain, they are broken down to finer flour that hardly retains its nutritive value.

No wonder it's called 'junk food', it only brings harm to your body. Make a conscious effort to replace it with real, fresh food that actually contains nutrients and not artificial chemicals.

Type diabetes
4475 people found this helpful

Sweating: What's Normal, What's Not

Dr. Kanu Verma 90% (334 ratings)
MBBS, MD - Dermatology
Dermatologist, Delhi
Sweating: What's Normal, What's Not

Sweating is a normal and natural phenomenon, which all human beings experience. When the weather conditions are humid or if you have walked for a long duration in the sun, sweat is bound to appear. Some people sweat much more than the normal rate. If you belong to this category, some questions may come to your mind like whether is it abnormal? What can be a possible remedy? Here are some facts you must know about sweating.

1. Sweating is a natural phenomenon, and everyone sweats
It is a normal function of the human body. It involves releasing of fluids from our sweat glands present in the skin. The body maintains its temperature by means of perspiration. Sweating may make you feel uncomfortable,but performs the important cooling function of the body. Composed of water, sugar, salts and ammonia, sweat does not have any smell of its own. The unpleasant smell produced from your skin is a result of sweat mixing with bacteria.

2. The rate of perspiration varies from person to person
If you find yourself to be sweating more than normal people around you, it's natural for you to get concerned. However, do not worry because there is nothing unnatural. Some people produce more amount of sweat than others and that is completely natural. The rate just varies from person to person.

3. Overreaction of sweat glands leads to hyperhidrosis
Some people have sweat glands, which are so over reactive and over productive that they actually suffer from the disease hyperhidrosis. People having this disease sweat abnormally. The rate of perspiration is very severe. There is no such cure for hyperhidrosis. The only permanent solution to fix this disorder is by surgery where the nerves to the sweat glands are cut off.

4. Sweating is psychological in nature
The process of sweating is carried out by the sympathetic nervous system. Once it is stimulated, more sweat is produced. Although it may seem weird, thinking of sweating can lead to more sweating in individuals.

5. Nausea leads to increased sweating
Nausea or motion sickness is another reason, which accounts for increased perspiration. Nausea stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which in return produces additional sweat.

6. Sweating can be delayed at times
Suppose you are climbing up a staircase, but surprisingly you notice that even after going up five flight of stairs, there is no sweat. The sweating appears a little later and is quite intense. This is because your body takes some time to react to the thermoregulation which takes place.

Sweating is a very uncomfortable and irritating phenomenon, but it is actually helpful to the body.

3717 people found this helpful

Tips to Take Care of Colored Hair

Dr. Raj Kirit.Ep 92% (309 ratings)
Fellowship In Hair Transplantation, DNB (Dermatology), Diploma In Dermatology And Venerology And Leprosy (DDVL), MBBS
Dermatologist, Hyderabad
Tips to Take Care of Colored Hair

Dyeing one's hair has become a modern trend. Streaks, highlighting with a blond color or changing the hair color altogether is done often to alter one's looks. However, most hair colors contain chemical ammonia, which causes hair to become brittle and dry. Here are a few tips to color your hair and keep it fabulous, all at the same time. Read on more to find all about it.

Pre color care:

One of the most important things to consider before coloring your hair. Deep condition your hair. Avoid applying chemicals to your hair one month prior to the actual coloring. This helps in reducing the damage your hair takes during coloring. It also revitalizes your hair, which it received via styling or heat.

  1. Manage your hair: Make sure that you manage your hair and go for regular trims or haircuts. It will help in coloring if you do not have to manage split ends or breakage.
  2. Condition your hair: Deep condition your hair to properly boost its strength. Mix banana, egg and yogurt evenly and apply them to your hair. Rinse after an hour. This will make your hair softer and stronger.
  3. Color on non-shampooed hair: Make sure that you apply color on your hair on a day, in which you haven't applied shampoo. It is recommended to not shampoo your hair 2 days prior to coloring as it washes the natural oil present in your hair and causes the coloring to result in excess damage to the hair follicles.

Post-color care:

  1. Rinse hair with a protecting shampoo: After applying color make sure that you only apply color protecting shampoos. This helps the color to set in and does not wash it away. Rinse using cold water.
  2. Wash hair twice a week: Shampooing on a regular basis strips your hair of the natural oils. Restricting it to twice a week ensures that the color on your hair stays for a longer duration.
  3. Deep condition post coloring: Use almond oil, olive oil or coconut oil to deep condition your hair.
  4. Avoid blow drying: Blow drying your hair causes it to be extra dry. This can cause damage to your hair. Let your hair dry naturally or if necessary use a cooler setting on your hair dryer.
3658 people found this helpful

11 Early Signs Of Kidney Problems You Must Never Ignore

Dr. D.K. Agarwal 91% (214 ratings)
MBBS, MD - General Medicine, DM - Nephrology, DNB (Nephrology)
Nephrologist, Delhi
11 Early Signs Of Kidney Problems You Must Never Ignore

11 Symptoms of Kidney Diseases

Kidney problems, although take a longer time to develop, they end up being silent killers. There are no obvious signs for months and the symptoms crop up when it's rather late.

Many younger people these days are getting diagnosed with kidney problems. This is primarily due to drinking alcohol, smoking, bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. About 60% people who have diabetes or hypertension develop kidney problems eventually.

Therefore, it is advised to be aware of what harms your kidneys and take adequate care to keep them healthy.

Watch out for any of these symptoms early on.

1. Urine Color - This is probably the first symptom and unfortunately affects many people around us. With the way our lifestyles are, this is becoming an increasing concern. Urine becomes dark and there is a need to urinate yet, one is unable to do so.

2. Urine Infection - Second would be when you feel pain or difficulty while urinating. The infections in the urinary tract induce their symptoms of pain or burning during urination. If this infection spreads to the kidneys, one can feel pain in the back.

3. Blood In Urine - If there is blood in your urine, it is a sign of renal illness. While this could be happening because of various reasons, it is advisable to see your doctor soon.

4. Water Retention - The function of the kidney is to take out the extra liquid and the waste from our body. When this process is not smooth, water will stay back and cause your face, limbs and/or ankle joints to swell.


5. Weakness - Severe exhaustion would mean minimized oxygen being delivered to the cells, causing weakness in general. This is also one of the symptoms that your kidney needs medical attention.

6. Temperature Variance - If your kidney is unwell, one of the symptoms is that you will feel the chill even when the temperature is actually warm.

7. Skin Breakout - Since an unfit kidney means waste in the body is piling up, it causes the skin to break out and cause severe irritation and rashes.

8. Rise of Blood Urea Level - When the kidney is unwell, it increases the level of urea in the blood. This causes breakdown of the urea into ammonia in the spit, causes it to smell foul, like urine/metal.

9. Nausea - Waste accumulating in the blood adds up to causing nausea and vomiting.

10. Breathlessness - One can also feel the lack of breath if the condition of the kidney worsens.

11. Discomfort or Pain - Some people have been known to have bodily pains, an instant discomfort that spreads from the lower back to the groin. This usually means that there is a stone in the kidney.

'Consult'.

Related Tip: 4 Types of Kidney Stones and Their Common Symptoms

3491 people found this helpful

Common Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Dr. Sanjiv Saxena 90% (47 ratings)
DNB (Nephrology), MD, MBBS
Nephrologist, Delhi
Common Symptoms of Kidney Stones

As we all are aware that waste products in the blood are passed through urine. This filtering process is done by the kidneys as it separates the waste products including minerals and salts, which have to be passed out through urine. Many times, these minerals and salts get stuck in your urinary tract and over a long period, this forms kidney stones. They can vary in size from a ping pong ball to the size of a sugar crystal. They are not noticed till the time they cause a blockage. Sometimes, they cause immense pain if they start breaking or are pushed into the ureters (narrow ducts which lead to the bladder).

Symptoms of kidney stones:
1. Immense pain in the groin, belly and back.
2. Pain while urinating and urination occurring frequently.
3. Blood found in the urine (haematuria).
4. Vomiting and nausea.
5. Feeling extremely restless and not being able to lie still.

Kidney stones can also cause a kidney infection. Signs of kidney infection include:
Kidney stones can also cause infection in the kidneys as they block the passage of urine to the bladder by blocking the ureters. This leads to build up of the waste product which can result in an infection. Some of the symptoms of kidney infections could be:

1. Feeling chilly and shivering on your skin.

2. High temperature of 100.4 F (38C) or more.
3. A feeling of fatigue or weakness.
4. Immense diarrhea
5. Bad smelling and cloudy urine.

Types of Kidney stones:
1. Struvite stones: It contains ammonia and magnesium. It is usually quite large and horn- shaped.
2. Uric acid stones: Brown, smooth and softer than other kinds of kidney stones.
3. Cystine stones: They are yellow and don’t look like stones. They usually resemble crystal.
4. Calcium stones: It is composed of calcium.

What causes kidney stones?
Kidney stones can occur due to several factors. It usually forms when urine generally contains crystal substances like uric acid, calcium and oxalate. Your urine might not be able to dilute these substances resulting in the perfect environment for the formation of kidney stones. In case you are showing any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should visit you doctor immediately before the problem can worsen.

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult the doctor and ask a free question.

2175 people found this helpful

Causes and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Dr. K S Shiva Kumar 90% (406 ratings)
MBBS, MS - General Surgery, M.Ch - Urology
Urologist, Bangalore
Causes and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Hard, crystalline deposits in the kidney which cause pain in the stomach are known as a kidney stones. The condition is common among people between the ages of 30 to 60. Made of various minerals and salts present in the urine, they stick conjunctly to form small pebbles which circulate in the kidney. Medically known as nephrolithiasis, kidney stones are also referred to as renal colic, in advanced stages, when they tend to cause severe pain.

Causes of Kidney Stones:

Kidney stones are essentially made of calcium, ammonia, uric acid and cysteine. Such superfluous products when present in the blood, occasionally form crystals that accumulate inside the kidneys. With time, those crystals form a hard pebble-like chunk which eventually lead to kidney stones.

Not drinking sufficient fluids is often attributed as a common cause for kidney stones. Yet oftentimes, certain medications that you may use also tend to increase the levels of unwanted substance in the urine. Once formed, the kidney stones pass through the urinary system (namely the bladder, kidneys and their tubules) where sometime they get stuck, consequently leading to the condition.

Some tiny stones go unsuspected and pass out painlessly during urination. But quite fairly, kidney stones obstruct a part of the urinary system which include:

  1. Ureter: the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder

  2. Urethra: the final tube from which the urine passes

Such obstructions can cause grievous pain in the groin and abdomen and at times, lead to UTI (urinary tract infection). Urinary tract infections affect the kidneys, tubes and the bladder and cause discomfort and pain.

Also, a grievous data estimates that around half the people who experience kidney stones are likelier to face them again within the subsequent 5 years.

Treatment:

Most kidney stones are miniscule and they smoothly pass through your urine. Yet some become large and require medications at home. Even larger stones require ultrasound or laser energy to be shattered. Keyhole surgery (a minimally invasive surgery that is carried out with the help of an incision, very small in size and with the help of special techniques and instruments such as fibre optics) may be also opted for as an alternative treatment.

3317 people found this helpful

Ways to Prevent Second - Hand Smoke Damages

FSCAI (Int Card), FACC (Card), FACP (Int Medicine), MBBS
Cardiologist, Delhi
Ways to Prevent Second - Hand Smoke Damages

Second-hand smoke is highly damaging, and in fact sometimes it causes more damage than first hand smoke. The harmful chemicals and particles inhaled in second-hand smoke can accumulate inside your body, and cause long term damages.

What gets damaged due to second-hand smoke?

Damages can happen to the respiratory system, heart, brain, skin and eyes. Items like ammonia, butane, Cyanide, Polonium, Carbon monoxide, chromium and formaldehyde, which are all harmful for the human body are there in the smoke, and these can inhibit many body functions, damage the quality of blood and its oxygen intake power, and create overall havoc to health when exposed to second-hand smoke for a long time.

How to keep away damaging second-hand smoke sources from you?

Once the damage is done, there is as such nothing you may do to revert it back. However, if you try to make a conscious effort to keep yourself, family and children away from the sources of second-hand smoke, then this is the best preventive measure you may take. Let’s look at the various preventive measures you should take to keep yourself away from second-hand smoke and its damage.

  1. The most effective and best way to complete prevention is to quit smoking. Do not smoke, and also advise other family members to quit. This can give you the best results.

  2. Quitting takes time and determination. Hence, if you are into the phase of quitting, and have lessened smoking, you still need to go out of the house or room to smoke.

  3. Keeping items around the room that are bathed with second-hand smoke is also dangerous, as they all have particles of pollute hanging or clinging on to them. The room curtains, cushions, carpets, upholstery and sheets, and mainly the air, all have suspended particles of the smoke which are retained for days. Try steam cleaning or vacuum cleaning to clear them off. Try using an air purifier.

  4. If you want to make sure that none of the family members start smoking, then keep cigars and cigarettes out of the reach of children and others. If they get one, they may want to experiment, thus ending up being an addict. Again, one member who has left smoking may start again if an instigating factor works.

  5. Avoid places where public smoking is encouraged.

  6. Put a board that smoking is prohibited in your home and tell guests about the rules.

These are some of the preventive measures you have to take in order to stay away from the dangerous consequences of second hand smoking. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

3220 people found this helpful