What Can Be Done To Rule Out Or Confirm An Underlying Cause
Kidney stones are common and they are not caused by any known underlying disease for most people. However, some tests may be recommended to rule out an underlying problem. In particular, tests are more likely to be advised if:
- You have repeated kidney stones.
- You have symptoms of an underlying condition.
- You have a family history of a particular condition.
- A stone forms in a child or young person.
You may be asked to catch a stone so that it can be analysed. This will help to find out if there may be an underlying cause for the kidney stone. To catch a stone, you will need to pass urine through gauze, a tea strainer or a filter such as a coffee filter.
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?
Diagnosis Of Kidney Stones
When you have kidney stone symptoms, as described above, see your health care provider. Shell check your medical history, give you a physical examination, and order imaging tests, as needed.
Your doctor may ask you to drink extra fluid to help flush out the stone. By straining your urine, you may be able to save a piece of the stone. This will enable your doctor to determine the type of stone, what may be causing the condition, and how to reduce your risk of recurring stones.
If your stone doesnt flush out, your doctor may order a high-resolution CT scan from the kidneys to the bladder or a KUB X-ray to determine the size and location of the stone.
Another test used for some patients is the intravenous pyelogram , an X-ray of the urinary tract taken after injecting dye.
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How Long Do Kidney Stone Symptoms Last
As mentioned, the time frame for these symptoms can be as short as a week or up to a month and beyond. So, even if it feels like your kidney stone pain has subsided, its important to reach out to your doctor since sporadic pain is common with this condition.
While some kidney stones pass on their own, others require treatment such as medications or procedures to help break up the stone or even surgical removal. Your doctor can perform the tests needed to determine whether the stone is likely to pass on its own or if you might need treatment. In addition, your doctor can help you manage the pain associated with passing the stone, adds Dr. Kannady.
Why Does Kidney Infection Cause Fatigue
Kidney infection can lead to some serious complications if left untreated. It should be treated immediately before the infection spreads and becomes advanced. The symptoms include changes in urine, pain in particular areas of the body, and other discomforts. Interestingly, it can also lead to feeling very tired. Although this issue is not fully known, there are some explanations of why it causes fatigue.
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Kidney Infection Symptoms And Complications
Typically, the infection causes painful urination . This discomfort may also be followed with other symptoms such as:
The symptoms can develop quickly, within a few hours. Kidney infection can be serious and should not be left untreated the treatment is necessary!
With quick and appropriate treatment, it should be harmless and doesnt pose to other health risks, though it often makes patient feel very unwell. If the infection is left untreated, it can be potential to cause serious complications such as:
Fever And Chills Along With Your Back Pain
This could also mean that you have a urinary tract infection.
If you have any of these symptoms, along with your back pain, you should call your doctor right away.
If your pain is unbearable, is associated with fevers or chills, or you have nausea and vomiting that is preventing you from keeping down fluids or medications, you should seek immediate medical attention, Nguyen says.
If youre in the Los Angeles area and are looking for exceptional care, the experts at USC Urology at Keck Medicine can help. Schedule an appointment or call .
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Types Of Kidney Stones
Kidney stonesvary in composition depending on the type of minerals in the urine:
- Calcium forms about 80 percent of kidney stones mostly calcium oxalate and, in some cases, calcium phosphate.
- Uric acid crystals tend to form stones in acidic urine. The following contribute to acidic urine: excess weight, chronic diarrhea, type 2 diabetes, gout and diets high in protein and low in fruits and vegetables.
- Struvite forms in alkaline urine, often related to chronic urinary tract infections.
- Cystine is an amino acid that forms stones when in high concentration, due to a rare inherited condition. This is the rarest form of kidney stones.
Stones that form in your kidneys are not the same as bladder stones. Bladder stones develop in different ways. But small kidney stones may travel down the ureters into your bladder and, if not expelled, can grow into bladder stones.
The most common cause of kidney stones is dehydration. Youre not drinking enough water to dilute the concentration of minerals in your urine.
Urge To Urinate Or Frequent Urination
Sometimes people with kidney stones feel like they need to peea lot. This symptom depends on where the stone is located. Stones that are close to the bladder will have a lot of bladder symptoms: frequency, urgency, needing to get to the bathroom quickly, and going small amounts, Dr. Pearle notes.
The reason? Stones irritate the walls of the bladder and that manifests as the bladder contracting, she says, which makes you feel like youve gotta go.
If not a lot of pee comes out, you might think youre having trouble passing urine. But those bladder contractions can occur even if your bladder is empty, Dr. Peale explains. Unless the stone is actually in the urethra, there shouldnt really be trouble urinating, she says. You should always be making urine.
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Food Tastes Like Metal
Why this happens:
A build-up of wastes in the blood can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don’t feel like eating.
What patients said:
Foul taste in your mouth. Almost like you’re drinking iron.
I don’t have the appetite I had before I started dialysis, I must have lost about 10 pounds.
If You Think You Have A Kidney Stone
If you have been diagnosed with a kidney stone, please call 362-8200 to schedule an appointment for evaluation and treatment we will do our best to make sure you are seen promptly. You may be directed to the emergency department if you are experiencing intractable nausea, vomiting, pain or fever so that urgent treatment can be given.
We have a very limited number of same-day appointments therefore, it is likely that you will be directed to the emergency department for rapid evaluation. There, they will obtain scans and labs that will help confirm the diagnosis of kidney stones. From that information, we can make an informed decision about your treatment.
If you have recently passed a stone, you should have close follow-up with a urologist. Our team of stone experts can accommodate you at any of our clinic locations.
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Symptoms Of A Kidney Stone
Small stones move into the bladder and out of the body with minimal symptoms.
Larger stones, though, can become lodged in the ureter, block urine flow and cause sharp pain in your back, side, lower abdomen or groin, and blood in your urine. Symptoms may also include burning urination, nausea, and fever. Fever could indicate a serious infection, a reason to call to your doctor immediately.
The location of your pain signals the location of your kidney stone:
Early Warning Signs Of Kidney Stones
When kidney stones first emerge, you may experience back or abdominal pain. Pain can be sudden and located in the lower back where the kidneys are. Back and abdominal pain can interfere with a persons ability to sit or stand comfortably.
Other early warning signs include changes in urine, such as the color or smell of a persons urine can change. Some blood can also be seen in urine with kidney stones, and urine can also be cloudy.
Urination may become painful and more frequent, even if you havent consumed additional fluids.
Lastly, in some cases, early warning signs of kidney stones can manifest as symptoms similar to flu, as the stones cause infection, prompting fever, chills, and fatigue. Some patients may even experience nausea and vomiting as a result of the pain or an infection.
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Larger stones can be broken up into smaller pieces with a device that passes energy waves into the body directly at the stone, Norouzi says.
Here’s the thing: the symptoms of kidney stones in women can be easily confused with symptoms of a urinary tract infection or even appendicitis, Clayman says.
Clearly, the treatments are very different, which is why its so important to be aware of these major symptoms.
Nausea And Vomiting In Renal Failure
Nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and fatigue are very common gastrointestinal symptoms among renal failure patients. Sometimes the reactions of nausea and vomiting will be very strong that patients can not even take oral medicines.
We need first know why renal failure cause nausea and vomiting so as to seek proper and effective treatments because nausea and vomiting in renal failure are not as simple as usual gastrointestinal discomforts. If the root problem can not be solved, nausea and vomiting can not be treated from the root or it can even become worse.
Generally speaking the causes of nausea and vomiting in renal failure include acidosis, electrolyte disorders, heart failure, gastrointestinal edema and uremia encephalopathy, etc.
Elevated blood urea nitrogen level
Renal failure can cause accumulation of excessive urea nitrogen in the blood stream due to decreased renal filtration ability. Urea enzymes can decompose urea into ammonia which can stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa and cause nausea and vomiting.
Renal failure can cause declined renal concentrating ability. Many patients will have frequent night urination which can cause hemoconcentration and high BUN. That is why many patients will have obvious nausea and vomiting when they get up early in the morning.
Drinking some water after getting up can relieve hemoconcentration and lower high blood urea nitrogen so as to prevent nausea and vomiting in the morning.
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Reducing Kidney Stone Risk
Drinking enough fluid will help keep your urine less concentrated with waste products. Darker urine is more concentrated, so your urine should appear very light yellow to clear if you are well hydrated. Most of the fluid you drink should be water. Most people should drink more than 12 glasses of water a day. Speak with a healthcare professional about the right amount of water thats best for you. Water is better than soda, sports drinks or coffee/tea. lf you exercise or if it is hot outside, you should drink more. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup should be limited to small quantities.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, which make the urine less acid. When the urine is less acid, then stones may be less able to form. Animal protein produces urine that has more acid, which can then increase your risk for kidney stones.
You can reduce excess salt in your diet. What foods are high in salt? Everyone thinks of salty potato chips and French fries. Those should be rarely eaten. There are other products that are salty: sandwich meats, canned soups, packaged meals, and even sports drinks.
Some herbal substances are promoted as helping prevent stones. You should know that there is insufficient published medical evidence to support the use of any herb or supplement in preventing stones.
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Kidney Stone Symptoms You Should Know
Anyone who has ever had a kidney stone knows how miserable it can make you feel. Kidney stones develop when high levels of salt and other minerals in the urine stick together. Over time, these congealed bits can form stones ranging in size from sand-like grains or small pebbles to chunks of gravel.
Some are soft, some are sort of crushable, some are more crystaline and some are more solid, like a petrified rock, says Margaret Pearle, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Kidney stones can pass in your urine without any need for treatment. But when a stone gets lodged in a bad place, especially in the uretersthe narrow passageways that allow urine to move from the kidneys to the bladderthe pain can get pretty intense. Larger stones may even block the flow of urine. That being said, stones that remain in the kidneys may not cause any pain or symptoms at all. As long as theyre not obstructing urine flow or associated with infection, they can be left alone.
A variety of factors like diet, certain medical conditions , and family history of the issue can increase the risk for developing kidney stones. One of the most important and easily correctable risk factors is dehydration. Boosting your daily water intake can reduce your risk of forming kidney stones in the first place.
Here are the key warning signs of kidney stones, plus what you can do to get rid of these little troublemakers.
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Where Is Kidney Stone Pain Located
The sharp pain associated with a kidney stone moves as the stone progresses through your urinary tract. The most common places to feel pain are in your:
- Lower abdomen or groin
- Along one side of your body, below your ribs
- Lower back
However, while pain is certainly the most noticeable symptoms of kidney stones, it’s not always the earliest sign or even the most telling sign, for that matter.
“The pain associated with a kidney stone typically isn’t felt until after its already formed and is passing through your urinary tract,” explains Dr. Kannady. “In addition, due to differences in anatomy, men and women describe kidney stone pain slightly differently. Not to mention that pain itself is relative and everyone has a different threshold for it.”
Plus, the intensity of the pain isn’t necessarily a measure of how problematic the kidney stone might be or become. Smaller stones that are likely to pass on their own can still be very painful. And not every kidney stone that requires medical intervention comes with gut-wrenching pain.
“Any time you’re experiencing pain, it’s important to see your doctor. But if you’re experiencing pain, even if it’s only mind, in combination with the kidney stone symptoms above and, in particular, if you have a fever or severe trouble urinating it’s definitely important to see your doctor,” warns Dr. Kannady.
Do Some Medicines Make Kidney Stones More Likely
Taking certain medicines can make you more prone to making kidney stones. Examples include:
- Some chemotherapy medicines for cancer
- Some medicines used to treat HIV
However, many people safely take these medicines without developing kidney stones. If you think that a medicine you are taking is the cause of your kidney stone, you should not stop taking the medicine but discuss it with your doctor.
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