Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Cost

This type can be hereditary. Regular consumption of a high protein diet comprising shellfish and red meats is mainly responsible. This is because these foods contain purines, a natural chemical compound which produces monosodium urate crystals. Under appropriate conditions, it will become crystallised into kidney stones.

You can also be vulnerable to developing uric acid stones if you are diabetic, suffer from metabolic syndrome or if you lose a lot of fluid due to malabsorption or chronic diarrhoea.

This is the most prevalent type of kidney stone formed due to dietary reasons, vitamin D overdose, metabolic disorders and previous record of intestinal bypass surgery.

Oxalate is a substance made by the liver daily and also absorbed from certain foods such as chocolate, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Calcium stones can also be found in calcium phosphate form, more common in people suffering from renal tubular acidosis (a type of metabolic condition). Calcium phosphate stones can also occur if you regularly take medications for controlling seizures and migraines.

A few other minor yet equally important reasons supporting the development of calcium oxalate stones are calcium deficiency and dehydration.

Cystine stones are hereditary and quite rare. Cystine stones are caused by the disorder ‘cystinuria’ which prompts cystine’ to escape into the urine. Kidney stones will eventually develop when there is an excess of cystine in the urine. The stones can get lodged perpetually anywhere in the urinary tract.

If you are diagnosed with cystine stones, you should know that it is a lifelong condition. There will be recurrences, so the condition can be regulated with proper treatment but cannot be cured. The nature of treatment will entail increasing fluid intake, taking timely medications and reducing your sodium and meat intake.

This is primarily caused by an infection within the urinary tract and is not very common.

Signs and symptoms of kidney stones can vary from person to person. Some likely signs you can experience initially are:

• Intense pain (similar to the one experienced at the time of childbirth)
• Sharp burning sensation during urination (similar to UTI)
• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• Urine with a strong odour (a sign of infection)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain that causes discomfort when sitting

If a member of your family has a history of kidney stones such as one or both of your parents/grandparents, you are likely to get it too. If you have had kidney stones earlier you can experience a case of recurrence unless proper treatment is not carried through.

Consuming a diet high in sugar, sodium (salt) and protein (mainly shellfish and meat) increases your risk of kidney stone formation. Excess sodium in the diet heightens the quantity of calcium that the kidneys will need to filter.

As mentioned above, dehydration is one of the principal factors behind kidney stone development. People who live in tropical countries with a hot and humid climate or those who sweat a lot each day will find themselves at great risk.

A wide waist size, body mass index that is 35 and above and significant weight gain are some of the causes of kidney stones. Insulin resistance and metabolic derangements can lead to higher chances of calcium oxalate kidney stone development.

If you have a family history of cystinuria, hyperthyroidism or have experienced past renal tubular acidosis and repeated urinary tract infections, you stand in a risky position of getting kidney stones.

Other health factors that can play a cause are inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhoea, and gastric bypass surgery. These factors linked to gastrointestinal disorders cause alterations within the digestive process that affect your ability to absorb water and calcium.

Dietary supplements, vitamin C, laxatives, medications used to treat depression and migraines or calcium-based antacids are all risk factors for kidney stone causes.

Drinking eight glasses of water or any fluid is highly important to pass about two litres of urine daily. The more fluid in your body means the greater will be your urine output. A controlled amount of vitamin C in your diet such as orange juice and lemonade are good options that prevent kidney stones from forming since they contain citrate.

As already mentioned, a high salt diet is not viable if you want to stay protected from kidney stones. Excess sodium in urine interferes with your ability to reabsorb calcium from urine to the blood. This is not just limited to table salt, food items infamous for being high in sodium are canned and processed foods (this includes burgers, pizzas, doughnuts and chips), condiments, foods containing monosodium glutamates such as Chinese cuisine and fast food, foods that contain sodium bicarbonate and sodium nitrate.

Calcium oxalate is the most common type of kidney stone experienced by people. To protect yourself from this, you must consume more calcium-rich foods such as low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, and low-fat yogurt. Taking calcium supplements along with your meal can also be beneficial

Avoid or limit your intake of oxalate-enriched foods which is a natural compound found in foods such as chocolate, beets, coffee, peanuts, rhubarb, wheat bran, soy products, sweet potatoes and spinach.

Protein items such as fish, pork, poultry, and beef are highly acidic and increase the chance of developing uric acid. This kind of diet if continued can in the future cause calcium oxalate kidney stones and uric acid.

Talk to your doctor if you have a history of kidney stones in your family or if you yourself had one a few years ago. He/she will advise you to take medications based on your kidney stone type:

• Uric Acid Stones: Allopurinol
• Calcium Oxalate Stones: Phosphate/ Thiazide diuretic
• Cystine Stones: Capoten
• Struvite Stones: Antibiotics to control bacteria in the urine

• Drink 2- 3 litres of water daily to produce almost clear urine
• Take pain relievers to ease pain at the time of passing stones
• Take the alpha-blocker medications timely as prescribed by the doctor to help you pass the stone easily
• Limit your intake of protein
• Have a calcium-rich diet that is low in fat

• Avoid foods rich in sodium
• Do not consume oxalate-rich foods
• Consume processed food
• Refrain from drinking anything that dehydrates you such as coffee, alcohol or cola
• Cut down on your sugar intake
• Do not consume foods containing a high quantity of fructose corn syrup

The diagnosis of kidney stones will take place based on the following symptoms:

• Blood in urine
• Nausea along with abdominal pain
• Feeling discomfort when sitting, lying down or even standing
• Facing trouble peeing

The doctor will prescribe some diagnostic tests to be sure of the condition, the nature of the stone and its size

The following are standard tests for Kidney stone diagnosis

• Urine Testing

  For this test, the doctor will ask you to perform two urine tests spread over two consecutive days. The main aim of the 24-hour urine test is to detect if you are excreting too few stone-preventing substances or too many minerals that can form stones.

• Blood testing

  A blood test will reveal too much uric acid or calcium content in the blood.

• Imaging Tests

  A high-speed or dual-energy computerised tomography (CT) scan will help reveal tiny stones. Imaging tests will confirm the presence of kidney stones within the urinary tract.

• Assessment of Passed Stones

  In some labs, you may be handed a strainer to trap some of the tiny kidney stones that you pass. The diagnostic lab will then examine the stone thoroughly to determine the type of kidney stone out of the four mentioned and why kidney stone formation is taking place.

• Ultrasound

  This test takes pictures of your kidney stones with the aid of sound waves

Drinking 6-8 glasses of water or 2-3 litres of water daily is the single most important remedy for controlling kidney stones or preventing them from forming in your urinary tract.

Lemon contains citrate which helps to break down the calcium deposits in the body. Consuming sugar-free lemonade will effectively slow down the development of kidney stones.

Apple cider vinegar is another easily available and affordable remedy that will help you dissolve calcium deposits due to citric acid content.

The National Institutes of Health has revealed that consuming calcium supplements makes you more vulnerable to developing kidney stones as they provide you more than the daily recommended intake. Instead, you should aim to fulfil your calcium requirement from food sources such as fish with edible bones, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, kale, dairy products (low fat), grains and calcium-fortified cereals

A study has revealed that out of a group of 146 people diagnosed with kidney stones about 43.8% were struggling with weight issues or were diagnosed obese with a BMI of 35 and above. Managing your weight by engaging in low to medium-intensity exercise along with a balanced diet (keeping the dos and don’ts in mind) is essential.

Celery root is a vegetable that contains antioxidants and potassium that prevent mineral buildup within the kidney. Consuming celery root juice will be highly beneficial

Please note that these home remedies do not guarantee that you will never have kidney stones or never face a recurrence. A surgical procedure is the best way to get relief from the discomfort associated with kidney stones.

In the case of small stones, home remedies can be effective. But if your stones are very large, undergoing surgery from a reputed and reliable health partner will be essential. Pristyn Care provides you with an array of treatment options both minimally invasive and quick. These painless laser methods are affordable and effective forms of kidney stone treatment.

For kidney stone pain relief you will be asked to take narcotic medications and other kinds such as:

• Naproxen sodium - pain
• Ibuprofen – pain
• Acetaminophen - pain
• Allopurinol- Uric acid stones
• Phosphorus solutions- preventive measure for calcium oxalate stones
• Thiazide diuretic- preventive measure for calcium stones
• Sodium citrate/bicarbonate- to lower urine acidity levels
• Antibiotics - if you have developed a urinary infection

There are two types of kidney stone treatment methods that do not involve surgery. These are

• Ayurvedic

  • Panchakarma: This is a cleansing process that eliminates toxins from the body and restores the body’s capability to self-heal. About 95% of renal stones can be broken up by undergoing panchakarma.
  • Herbs and Medicine: This involves drinking lots of fluids, following a balanced lifestyle, consuming a nutritious diet and controlling the quality of urine which prevents ashmari. Herbs that are effective for kidney stone treatment are Punarnava (boerhaavia diffusa), shugru (moringa oleifera), kushmanda seeds (benincasa hispida cong), varuna (crataeva nurvala), kantkari (solanum xanthocarpum), bakul (mimusops elengi), jasmine and coriander.

• Lithotripsy

  This is a non-surgical procedure that uses extracorporeal shock waves to break down the stones into tiny grain-like particles akin to sand particles. It is a laser procedure that uses high-energy shock waves which are passed through the body. The size of the stones becomes so small that they can be quickly passed through the body via urine.

If you are eager to know how the procedure works for each of the three surgery types mentioned above, keep reading:

• Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

  A tiny incision will be made in your back. With the help of a small telescope, surgical tools will be inserted through this opening, and the kidney stone will be removed. During the treatment, you will be administered general anaesthesia and kept back at the hospital for one or two nights. This surgery is usually recommended only if ESWL fails.

• Parathyroid Gland Surgery

  If the cause of your kidney stone is due to an overactive parathyroid gland that produces hormones in excess (hyperparathyroidism) the doctor may recommend this procedure. This is due to the reason that hyperparathyroidism is caused by a benign tumour that makes the glands produce too much parathyroid hormone. This will lead to the formation of calcium phosphate stones. In order to restrict the development of kidney stones, the removal of the growth from the parathyroid gland is essential.

• Lighted Tube (Ureteroscope)

  If the stone is small and you are unable to pass it through urine, the doctor will recommend this procedure. The method involves a lighted tube with an attached camera that is passed through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. After the location of the stone is confirmed, tools will be used to break down the main stone into several tiny passes that can now easily pass through your urine.