Kidney stone is nothing, but a collection of some minerals, salts or acids in excess in body. When they cross normal required limit of body, they start execrating in urine. When their collection rate in kidney tissue increase than their excretion rate; at that time they start taking shape of spherical deposits. These spherical deposits are known as kidney stones.
Image Source - https://pixabay.com/en/kidney-renal-med-medical-1716229/
Types-
Kidney stones are of following types, depending on their base substance-- Calcium oxalate stones-They are constructed from deposits of calcium and oxalate found in excess in body. These deposits increase from consuming calcium and oxalate rich fruits and vegetables in excess beyond required amount.
- Uric acid stones- They construct, when a person suffers from gout. Gout patients have uric acid in body beyond required limit, which is sufficient to form kidney stone.
- Struvite stones- Construction of these stones starts occurring after a person suffers from urinary tract infection.
- Cysteine stones- They start constructing when this protein has started collecting beyond normal limits.
Causes-
Main cause of excess of minerals, salt and acids have been told above. Other causes that give birth to kidney stones are-- Habit of drinking less water makes flushing of excess minerals, salts and acids difficult. As a result, they start pooling in kidney and with time take shape of a stone.
- Eating excess of proteins leads to excess of uric acid in body. Excess of this acid with time give birth to uric acid stones in body.
- Eating chicken or fish on frequent basis at gap of 2 days, increase protein level, sufficient to build kidney stones.
- Consuming excess of calcium also create ground for kidney stone formation.
- Side effects of some medicines, whose consumption on frequent basis cause kidney stone formation.
- If you are suffering from gout, then you are definitely going to suffer from kidney stones, if gout is not tackled at time. This is because increased uric acid in gout, acts as base material for kidney stones.
Symptoms of kidney stone-
- Kidney stones when of small size, they does not cause pain. But, when they are of huge size, then they definitely cause pain in lower left and right back region.
- When a kidney stone pass through urine, then it change colour of urine to red.
- Haematuria- that means blood comes in urine on urination.
- Fever and chills in severe cases.
Diagnosis of kidney stone-
It can be reached from symptoms mentioned above and from results of tests mentioned below-- Renal function tests are done to confirm diagnosis of kidney stones.
- X-ray and ultrasound is also done to diagnose kidney stone.
How to prevent kidney stones?
Mentioned below are steps that will help you during treatment of kidney stones, as well as in their prevention-- Drink sufficient amount of water required to prevent kidney stones.
- Eat more fibre rich fruits and vegetables. But, eat only required amount of protein, not excess.
- Do not eat 2 different types of proteins at one time. For example- chicken soup and fish at one time.
- Do not eat chicken or fish at gap of 2 days.
- Do not consume any medicine without recommendation from doctor because some medicines have kidney stone as their side effects .
- Do not consume calcium and oxalate food beyond required amount .
- Insufficient short, consume balanced diet, nothing in excess.