What are Kidney Stones? How Kidney Stone Occurs and Treatment Methods

Every day we know that hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from kidney stones. Complaints about this issue in our country are quite excessive. Sometimes formation is linked to genetic conditions, sometimes with physical movements. What is the kidney stone? How is the kidney stone formed and what are the damages to our bodies? What should be done for the treatment of kidney stone disease? We will answer each of these questions one by one. If you have a question you want to ask, we can get it in the comment field.

On the list of bad bathroom surprises, kidney stones rank pretty high. (Although, tbh, are there any good toilet surprises?)

The sensation of something pointy scraping its way through your tender urethra is no joke—and there's a solid chance you'll experience one in your life, so listen up.

One in 10 women will get at least one kidney stone in her lifetime, and every year kidney stones send more than half a million people to the ER, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Men are even less lucky, with one in five getting them.

Even worse: Cases of kidney stones are on the rise with rates more than doubling over the past few decades. Why? One theory is that factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity have been found to increase your risk, per the NKF.

But before you start freaking out at even the slightest pain, it's important to know the majority of kidney stones can be prevented or managed by doing some very basic things, says S. Adam Ramin, M.D., a urologist and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles.

What exactly are kidney stones, anyway?

A kidney stone is basically exactly what it sounds like: a hard object that forms in your kidney.

It starts out when certain chemicals in your urine start to crystallize. As they form, they attract more elements, growing larger and larger. These stones tend to be sharp and spiky, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball.

Tiny ones may pass out through your urine without you even noticing but larger ones can get stuck, causing a backup of pee, which in turn causes swelling and pain.

But not all kidney stones are the same, and there are four kinds that women need to be aware of, per the NKF:

• Calcium oxalate: These are the most common type, forming when calcium binds to oxalate, a chemical compound, in your urine. There may be a genetic component, especially in people who get them repeatedly, but most of them can be attributed to dehydration or a diet high in foods containing oxalates, like leafy greens and coffee, says Ramin.
• Uric acid: The second most common type, these stones happen when your body doesn't process all the monosodium urate (a chemical commonly found in foods like animal protein and nuts) in your kidneys and it clumps together. These definitely have a genetic component and tend to run in families.
• Struvite: These stones are less common and are the result of an upper urinary tract infection, according to the NKF.
• Cystine: Caused by a rare genetic disorder called cystinuria, these stones form when a high amounts of the amino acid cystine leaks into your urine.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

They're painful, for one—like, excruciatingly so.

If a stone is just chilling in your kidney, you likely won't even know it's there, which is cool since doctors don't usually treat those anyhow, says Ramin. However, once the stone moves down into your ureter (the little tube that funnels your pee from your kidneys to your bladder) it can block urine from passing, which causes swelling and serious pain, he explains.

The longer it's there, the more pain you'll be in. You'll likely feel it the most in your lower back, although some people may experience pain in their groin or abdomen as well, he adds.

Other possible symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and fainting; and urine that is bloody, cloudy, or bad smelling. Kidney stones can sometimes occur with an infection which may cause symptoms like a fever, body aches, fatigue, and chills, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

How are kidney stones diagnosed—and treated?
Often it's pretty apparent by the location and level of pain a person is in that a kidney stone is the issue but your doc may order a CT scan or an x-ray to determine the exact shape, size, and location. You may also receive a urine test to check for signs of infection.

Once your doc is sure you have a kidney stone (or multiple), you have two options: Treat it surgically or let it pass "naturally."

Stones less than seven millimeters are generally left alone and given a chance to pass—that means you're left to your own devices with patience and pain killers as you wait for it to flush out of your system. There are some medications your doctor can give you to help relax your ureter, making it easier for the stone to pass, says Ramin.

Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a22690827/what-are-kidney-stones/