How Are Children Treated For Kidney Stones
Most childrens kidney stones can be treated with the shock wave lithotripsy , a completely non-invasive procedure. Your child is placed under anesthesia and sound waves of specific frequencies are focused on the stones to shatter them into fragments small enough to be easily passed during urination.
Passing A Kidney Stone
Small kidney stones may pass on their own without treatment. A doctor may recommend drinking more fluids to help flush the stone out of the system.
In some cases, the doctor may prescribe the medication Tamsulosin. This drug relaxes the ureter, making it easier for stones to pass. Some people may also require over-the-counter or prescription pain relief medication.
According to the AUA, a person should wait no longer than 6 weeks to pass a small kidney stone. They should seek medical attention sooner if they experience worsening pain or an infection.
In some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to place a ureteral stent to allow urine to bypass the stone, with or without removing the stone at the same time. According to the Urology Care Foundation, doctors usually reserve surgery for stones that may have caused or lead to infection or stones that do not pass and block urine flow from the kidney.
What Is Hair Loss
Hair loss is hair that is thinning or is falling out of your scalp. Its fairly common. Everyone loses some hair every day. Losing up to 100 hairs a day is normal.
But if hair loss runs in your family, you could lose a lot more hair. With this kind of hair loss, you may end up with bald spots if youre a man. If youre a woman, you may find that the hair on the top of your head is slowly thinning.
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Whats The Best Way To Prevent Headaches
The good news is that most of the headache triggers listed above can be prevented with a few lifestyle changes. Here are some best practices for how to avoid headaches before they happen:
- Drink plenty of water. Make sure that youre keeping up on your water intake throughout the day, especially if you plan to work out or play sports. This can help you avoid the dreaded dehydration headache.
- Stretch before and after a workout. Stretching before a workout can help you avoid injuries, while stretching after a workout can help loosen any tight muscles. If you notice that your muscles are frequently tense after working out, consider booking yourself a massage.
- Dont push yourself too hard. Anyone, at any fitness level, can overexert their body. Its important to always be mindful of how you feel during an activity. If you notice that youre having symptoms of overexertion, stop immediately and give your body some rest.
- Keep cool during training sessions. Working out or playing sports in the heat means that your body will require some extra attention to keep hydrated. Drinking cool water, using a chilled towel, and staying in the shade or air conditioning can help avoid headaches from an overheated body.
- Make a log of any suspected triggers. If youre someone who has frequent headaches, keep a log of any potential or known headache triggers. This can help you avoid these triggers and in turn, reduce how often you get headaches.
Does Creatine Cause Headaches
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance made of amino acids. It supplies the body with cellular energy. Red meat and seafood are the primary sources of dietary creatine, while endogenous creatine is synthesized in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
Most creatine is stored in and used by the muscles, which makes it a popular supplement for fitness-related activities. As with almost all supplements, there have been reported side effects associated with taking larger amounts of creatine.
While these side effects are generally gastrointestinal in nature, some people have also reported experiencing creatine headaches.
Fortunately, as far as supplements are concerned, research has shown that creatine is one of the safest supplements that the average person can take. Outside of anecdotal reports, theres virtually no research that suggests headaches are a direct side effect of creatine use.
In fact, the research on the reported side effects demonstrates quite the opposite, as well discuss later in the article.
Here are a few possible explanations for headaches that might accompany creatine use, especially in active individuals.
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Shortness Of Breath After Very Little Effort
Why this happens:
Being short of breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.
What patients said:
At the times when I get the shortness of breath, it’s alarming to me. It just fears me. I think maybe I might fall or something so I usually go sit down for awhile.
I couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t catch my breath, like I was drowning or something. And, the bloating, can’t breathe, can’t walk anywhere. It was bad.
Signs Of Acute Kidney Injury
Acute kidney injury is a rapid or abrupt decline in kidney function and is considered a medical emergency. It occurs when there is direct injury to one or both kidneys, a blockage in the ureter or another condition causing insufficient blood flow to the kidneys.
In adults, kidney failure can be caused by:
- Low blood pressure that occurs very suddenly and/or is severely low
- Bleeding
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Symptoms Of Kidney Stones From Small Big Stones
- Post author Scientific review: Dr Hebens Team
Kidney stone disease is one of the most painful urological disorders and prevalent in society. More than one million kidney stone cases are diagnosed each year and 10 percent of people suffering from kidney stones at some point in his life. Fortunately, the majority of kidney stones out of the body without any intervention. If youre not so lucky, the following information will help you and your doctor to address causes, symptoms and complications that may be caused by kidney stones. We should learn about the signs and the symptoms of kidney stones, so we know when to seek the treatment.
What Is the Kidney Stone?
Kidney stones are pieces of solid material that formed when substances that are normally dissolved in the urine becomes highly concentrated. The solid material is often formed from calcium, oxalate, and phosphate. Kidney stones may be only a few millimeters in diameter, or about the size of small stones.
Kidney stones are most common in men, but statistics are now showing more cases of kidney stones in women and children. Dietary factors may play a role in increasing the number of cases of kidney stones.
Symptoms of kidney stones usually will not be felt by the sufferer if still small. Symptoms also will not be felt if the kidney stones are so small that excluded them from the body through the ureter with ease.
Symptoms of kidney stones
How Common Are Kidney Stones
Researchers have concluded that about one in ten people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. Kidney stones in children are far less common than in adults but they occur for the same reasons. Theyre four times more likely to occur in children with asthma than in children who dont have asthma.
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Kidney Stones Topic Guide
What Is A Kidneystone Made Of
Generally speaking,16 types of kidney stones can be created in the human body. And what they are made of can help you prevent additional kidney stones in the future.
The two major types of kidney stones are made up ofcalcium and uric acid. Calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid, alongwith struvite and cystine stones are the major groupings. Technical names likecalcium oxalate monohydrate, hydroxyapatite, and magnesium hydrogen phosphateare a mouthful, to be sure, but knowing exactly what kind of kidney stone youhave can give you the best clues for preventing kidney stones in the future.
Start by collecting your urine to capture the stone as itcomes out. Or by using a coffee filter to catch the stone. After collecting it,take it to your physician they can send it out for tests. Once the testresults come back you two can craft a treatment plan to help prevent kidneystones in the future. In addition to your customized treatment plan, drinkingmore water, eating less meat, consuming more citrus, and reducing your saltintake are general guidelines that can help reduce the odds of kidney stones inthe future.
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How Do You Get Kidney Infection
Many times, it occurs when bacteria enter the opening of tube that carries urine from the bladder. They can multiply and move upward. First, the bladder gets infected and then the kidneys. Many times, these bacteria are a type called E. coli.
Bacteria can get into the urinary tract in several different ways. But they usually spread from anus to urethra. For instance, bacteria can enter into urethra if we wipe our bottom and the soiled toilet paper accidentally touches the genitals.
The kidneys are important to help keep normal, healthy-balanced blood. They are responsible of what to keep and what to remove in the blood. And therefore, any bad things in the blood may also affect your kidneys.
In less common cases, fungi or bacteria can spread to the kidneys through bloodstream. Many infections in other parts of the body can go into the bloodstream. And kidney infection can occur through this route, though its unusual.
For instances, bacteria that infect the skin can spread to the bloodstream which then may eventually go to the kidneys. In rare cases, the infection occurs after a kidney surgery. The use of artificial heart valve or joint may also increase the risk of infection.
*Image credit to Mayo
Furthermore, the problem can also be attributed by a number of different factors. Generally, the risk of getting kidney infection is high in people with:
Infection in another organ of urinary system
Urinary tract obstruction
If you use a urinary catheter
What else?
Signs Of Nephritic Syndrome
Nephritic syndrome is the name given to a collection of signs and symptoms that occur when the kidneys are inflamed. The syndrome is usually the result of an underlying condition such as acute glomerulonephritis, a bacterial or viral infection, a systemic disorder such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or a hereditary disorder like Alport-Syndrome.A syndrome is a group of symptoms that often and typically occur together and often develop as a result of another condition.
Nephritic syndrome causes the kidneys to be less efficient at filtering waste substances from the blood. In people with nephritic syndrome, protein and blood may be found in the urine. However, most cases of nephritic syndrome are chronic and have few symptoms. Acute nephritic syndrome usually does, however, present with symptoms.
Typical symptoms of acute nephritic syndrome include passing less urine than normal, having blood in the urine and swelling of the feet or face . Other possible symptoms of nephritic syndrome, also depending on the root cause may include:
- Pain in the back and/or sides
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms related to the underlying cause, for example a rash or joint pain
The symptoms of nephritic syndrome differ, depending on whether the acute or chronic form of the syndrome is being experienced.
Symptoms of acute nephritic syndrome include:
- Edema in the face and legs
- Low production of urine
- Pain in the stomach
- Malaise
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When And How Soon To See A Doctor If You Suspect A Stone
At the time of a first kidney stone attack, people often arent sure what is going on and need to be seen by a doctor to make sure the symptoms arent the result of a more serious problem, such as appendicitis, says Lieske.
As a general rule, you need to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Severe pain that makes sitting still or getting comfortable impossible
- Pain with nausea and vomiting
- Pain with fever and chills
- Blood in the urine
- A strong need to urinate
- A burning sensation while urinating
If you cant see your doctor that day, head to the ER.
If stone pain and fever develop, go directly to the ER, says Timothy F. Lesser, MD, a urologist at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. A kidney stone with a urinary tract infection may cause and must be treated immediately.
If urine is trapped behind a kidney stone that is blocking the ureter, the urine can become infected, says Seth K. Bechis, MD, a urologist at UC San Diego Health in San Diego. This, in turn, can cause an infection of the kidney tissue or result in the infection spreading to the bloodstream, causing sepsis, he explains.
While men are more prone to kidney stones than women, women are more likely to get UTIs, says Lieske. So its not surprising that women are also more likely to get a urinary infection associated with their kidney stones, he says.
Symptoms Of Kidney Pain
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of a clenched fist that are part of the urinary tract. The urinary tract is responsible for making urine and removing it from the body.
Kidney pain, also known as renal pain, can be felt where the kidneys are located: in the middle of the back, on either side of the spine, and just under the ribcage. Sometimes, the pain will be situated on the side of the body between the upper abdomen and back, where it is referred to as flank pain.
The kidney pain may be unilateral or bilateral . It can also be acute or chronic .
Kidney pain often feels like a dull ache that gets worse when someone presses on the overlying area. However, certain conditions can trigger intense and even excruciating pain accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Fever with chills
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Fatigue Being Tired All Of The Time
Why this happens:
Healthy kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin , or EPO, that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they make less EPO. With fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, your muscles and brain tire very quickly. This is anemia, and it can be treated.
What patients said:
I was constantly exhausted and didn’t have any pep or anything.
I would sleep a lot. I’d come home from work and get right in that bed.
What Causes Cystinuria
Defects, also called mutations, in the genes SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 cause cystinuria. These genes provide the instructions for your body to make a certain transporter protein found in the kidneys. This protein normally controls the reabsorption of certain amino acids.
Amino acids are formed when the body digests and breaks down proteins. Theyre used to perform a wide variety of bodily functions, so theyre important to your body and arent considered waste. Therefore, when these amino acids enter the kidneys, theyre normally absorbed back into the bloodstream. In people with cystinuria, the genetic defect interferes with the transporter proteins ability to reabsorb the amino acids.
One of the amino acids cystine isnt very soluble in urine. If it isnt reabsorbed, it will accumulate inside the kidney and form crystals, or cystine stones. The rock-hard stones then get stuck in the kidneys, bladder, and ureters. This can be very painful.
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What To Expect At Home
It is normal to have a small amount of blood in your urine for a few days to a few weeks after this procedure.
You may have pain and nausea when the stone pieces pass. This can happen soon after treatment and may last for 4 to 8 weeks.
You may have some bruising on your back or side where the stone was treated if sound waves were used. You may also have some pain over the treatment area.
What Are Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract.
Stones vary in size. Some are as small as the period at the end of this sentence a fraction of an inch. Others can grow to a few inches across. Some kidney stones can become so large they take up the entire kidney.
A kidney stone forms when too much of certain minerals in your body accumulate in your urine. When you arent well hydrated, your urine becomes more concentrated with higher levels of certain minerals. When mineral levels are higher, its more likely that a kidney stone will form.
About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes .
Smaller kidney stones that remain in the kidney often dont cause any symptoms. You might not notice anything is amiss until the stone moves into your ureter the tube that urine travels through to get from your kidney to your bladder.
Kidney stones are typically very painful. Most stones will pass on their own without treatment. However, you may need a procedure to break up or remove stones that dont pass.
Here are eight signs and symptoms that you may have kidney stones.
2 ). Some people whove experienced kidney stones compare the pain to childbirth or getting stabbed with a knife.
4 ). Your doctor might call this dysuria.
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