Kidney Stones Vs Childbirth: Which Is More Painful
Childbirth is well known as one of the most painful experiences that humans can have. However, the pain of having a kidney stone is considered to be comparable. In fact, some people have rated the pain of a kidney stone as being worse than that of childbirth.
When a large kidney stone is present, it can block the flow of urine through the kidney. The stone often moves into the tube that connects the bladder and the kidney and causes a blockage. The kidney keeps producing urine, but it cant get rid of it. This causes a back up of urine that causes the kidney to expand painfully. This process, called hydronephrosis, is what often causes the pain of kidney stones.
This kind of pain usually presents on one side and can radiate downward as far as the genitals. There can also be nausea and vomiting from the pain of the stone.
Relieving Kidney Stones Pain
Many people seek immediate assistance from a doctor when they experience kidney stones pain because it is unbearable. Not to mention, it causes a lot of discomfort and one can barely stay calm as the pain tends to make them jittery. Pain medication is usually a fast way to relieve the pain. This makes it easier to pass the stones without pain for a prolonged period of time. Narcotic pain medications can also be administered, although nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also effective. Needless say, the latter has fewer side effects than the former. Adding to that, drink plenty of water to help with the passing of the stones. Pain from kidney stone lasts as long as the stone is moving before it is out of your body. The time taken before a stone is excreted depends on the size and location of the stone, which can be days or weeks.
Why Passing A Kidney Stone Can Be So Painful
Think of the urinary tract system as your bodys plumbing system, explains Timothy F. Lesser, MD, a urologist at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. The kidney makes urine, which spills into the ureter, a tiny tube that transports the urine from the kidney down to the bladder. The bladder fills, then empties. “‘Passing a stone’ a stone traveling from the kidney down to the bladder, and traversing the length of the ureter, he says. The stone leaves the urinary tract through the urethra, the tube that transports urine outside the body from the bladder.
A stone passing is so painful because the kidney itself is exquisitely sensitive, explains Dr. Lesser. When a stone blocks the flow of urine through the urinary tract, backed-up urine can put pressure on the kidney, resulting in pain.
It is thought that the kidney itself does not have nerves with classical pain fibers, says John C. Lieske, MD, a consultant in the division of nephrology and hypertension at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. But the tissue surrounding the kidney called the capsule does contain nerve fibers that transmit pain. Backed-up urine swells and expands the capsule, he says.
This swelling activates those nerve fibers, causing signals that are interpreted by the brain as an intense, visceral pain, says Prakash N. Maniam, MD, a urologist at the Medical Specialty Group at Poinciana in Kissimmee, Florida.
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Difficulty With Urine Flow
Kidney stones may obstruct the urine flow and may lead to extreme pain. If the stone passes down into the bladder, the person may often feel an urgency to pee, followed by painful urination. In some rare cases, kidney stones can even be on both sides and, therefore, may completely stop the urine flow, resulting in a medical emergency.
How Is Kidney Pain Treated
Treatment depends on the cause, the severity of the pain and how sick you are feeling.
You may find the pain eases with simple treatments like paracetamol. Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist.
If you have pain that you are worried may be caused by a kidney problem, please see your doctor. If you are pregnant and you have kidney pain, see your doctor.
You should also see your doctor if you have a pain in the back along with any of the following:
- discoloured urine, painful urination or blood in your urine
- feeling that you need to urinate urgently
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Sign Up For The Deep Dive Into Kidney Stones
A patient story, myths debunked, and stone-sized video content.
- fever and chills
- urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
The kidney stone starts to hurt when it causes irritation or blockage. This builds rapidly to extreme pain. In most cases, kidney stones pass without causing damage-but usually not without causing a lot of pain. Pain relievers may be the only treatment needed for small stones. Other treatment may be needed, especially for those stones that cause lasting symptoms or other complications. In severe cases, however, surgery may be required.
How Common Are Kidney Stones
Each year, more than half a million people go to emergency rooms for kidney stone problems. It is estimated that one in ten people will have a kidney stone at some time in their lives.
The prevalence of kidney stones in the United States increased from 3.8% in the late 1970s to 8.8% in the late 2000s. The prevalence of kidney stones was 10% during 20132014. The risk of kidney stones is about 11% in men and 9% in women. Other diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity may increase the risk for kidney stones.
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Definition: What Is A Kidney Stone
Before we explore what kidney stones are, it is important to understand the basic anatomy and function of the urinary system. The urinary system is made up of the kidneys, the ureters, bladder, and urethra.
The kidneys act as filters for the blood, removing any waste products. These waste products are passed out of the body through our urine. The urine passes from the kidneys, through the ureters to the bladder. The bladder is where urine is stored until you are ready to urinate.
Kidney stones form from the crystallization of different substances within the kidney. This happens for a variety of reasons. These stones formed within the kidney are then typically released into the ureter . Symptoms can occur if these stones are large enough to obstruct the kidney or ureter.
There are four different types of kidney stones. They are named based on the substance from which they are formed.
What Types Of Pain Can I Use It For
TENS therapy is a versatile treatment that can be used for several types of pain. Types of pain you can use a TENS unit to relieve include:
There are many other areas that TENS therapy can be used for. The treatment has been around since the 1970s, but very little research is available about long-term effects and whether or not its beneficial.
If you want to try TENS therapy for yourself, consult with a doctor first to make sure it wont harm you. You can also discuss electrode placement and frequency settings, so you dont inadvertently injure yourself.
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Kidney Stone Pain: Firsthand Recollections Of The Experience
Ive never had a kidney stone. I dont know what its like. Thats why I spent hours reading personal experiences to understand kidney stone pain better. Wikipedia told me the basics, and ArsTechnica, StraightDope, and Reddit gave me the personal stories and recollections that created an overall picture of how unpleasant and dreadfully painful kidney stones can be .
Was bad enough that I left the party and went to myoffice and spent a large part of the night rolling backand forth on the floor in my cube debating calling my ex to come get me. Sheended up laughing, then took me to the hospital. I still owe her for helpingme.
It was what I can imagine a knife stuck in my back beingtwisted all around would feel like.
A female nurse told me it’s the worst pain a man canever feel, because a man can’t go through labor. I had mine when I was 25 itlooked like a coffee grain. Before it passed, I literally thought I was goingto die. They gave me a morphine shot right in the vein, and it didn’t do athing. They followed that with Vicodin and I passed out. I woke up a few hourslater feeling just ok.
Someone told me that the pain from a kidney stone isclose to what a woman feels while having a baby. If that is true, I don’t blamethem at all for screaming.
Why Are The Kidneys So Important
Most people know that a major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. These waste products and excess fluid are removed through the urine. The production of urine involves highly complex steps of excretion and re-absorption. This process is necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals.
The critical regulation of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content is performed by the kidneys. The kidneys also produce hormones that affect the function of other organs. For example, a hormone produced by the kidneys stimulates red blood cell production. Other hormones produced by the kidneys help regulate blood pressure and control calcium metabolism.
The kidneys are powerful chemical factories that perform the following functions:
- remove waste products from the body
- remove drugs from the body
- balance the body’s fluids
- release hormones that regulate blood pressure
- produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
- control the production of red blood cells
Below you will find more information about the kidneys and the vital role they play in keeping your body functioning.
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Metabolic Stone Evaluation And Stone Prevention
Any patient with recurrent stones warrants metabolic evaluation as renal deterioration is more likely to occur from recurrent compared to solitary stone episodes. Metabolic stone evaluations are also recommended for all stone formers with high risk factors such as solitary or transplanted kidneys, GI bypass surgery or significant medical co-morbidities. It is also recommended for all children with kidney stones. The typical metabolic evaluation includes stone composition analysis, 24hour urine collection and serum studies as described in Table 5.
| Table 7: Options for Stone Intervention |
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The most common metabolic factors identified are low urine volume, hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, hypocitraturia and hyperuricosuria. We will also briefly review hypercystinuria.
Low Urine Volume increases urinary supersaturation. A simple way to reduce urinary supersaturation is to instruct patients to increase their oral fluid intake sufficiently to generate a 24 hour urinary volume of at least 2.5L.
What Size Kidney Stone Can Pass Without Pain
Back pain from the fall sent.
our bodies naturally flush out most kidney stones, but once they reach about the size of a raisin, they become hard to pass. “So size matters when it comes to.
Most kidney stones pass on their own, but the pain may require medical.
To determine the exact size and shape of the kidney stones, doctors can use a.
May 10, 2019 · Dr. Ronald Hamner answered. Nephrology and Dialysis 43 years experience. Yes: Symptoms and signs of kidney stone passage depend on the size and shape of the stone . Small stones the size of gravel may pass without pain and obvious bleeding. The blood may be visible only with a microscope.
In many of us, kidney stones.
small specks of stones pass out through urine without any symptoms, but if the stones are larger or there are many tiny stones stuck in the.
Most kidney stones will pass through the ureter to the bladder and out of the body.
The time it takes for a stone to be passed depends on its size and.
You can be especially prone to kidney stones if you’re frequently dehydrated and there.
Some men feel pain in their testes or penis as the stone passes.
Kidney stones are solids formed in the kidneys when substances like calcium, oxalate and phosphorus that are excreted through the urine become concentrated. A kidney stone may either settle down.
Everything You Need to Know About Kidney Stones Passing a kidney stone can cause pain and discomfort.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can.
The pain can.
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Kidney Stones And Pain
Kidney stone pain can be excruciating. Individuals who have never had a stone may be suffering from a great deal of discomfort without knowing why. In reality, kidney stones are generally silent until they begin to pass. A stone that grows to 3 millimeters or larger can block the ureter as it moves from the kidney to the bladder. This movement can cause unbearable pain, usually in the lower back, right / left flank, or groin. Kidney stone pain can be intermittent or ongoing.
How Painful Are Kidney Stones
One of the common symptoms of kidney stones is agonizing pain that is unbearable to any human being. Many people wonder why kidney stones cause so much pain, especially when passing them out. Regardless of the pain you will feel, it is important that you let out the stones to reduce the risk of further complications. Kidney stones vary in size and a person may have several of them in their kidneys. The bigger the stones are in size, and then they are more than likely to cause pain at one point as they are being passed out. The pain is experienced in different parts between the kidneys and urinary tract, which is the path they take as theyre being excreted.
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How To Relieve Kidney Stone Pain
This article was co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 80,334 times.
Kidney stones can be extremely painful. If you are dealing with pain caused by kidney stones, there are several things that you can try to help ease kidney stone pain. Make sure that you see a doctor for help treating your kidney stones because kidney stones may become worse without proper medical treatment. Your doctor may recommend some home remedies or prescribe a prescription pain reliever depending on the severity of your kidney stone pain.
How To Get Relief From Kidney Stone Pain
When pain does occur, it can be so severe that many patients have to go to the closest emergency room to seek immediate treatment. Often a single dose of pain medication given by an ER doctor is enough to alleviate the pain for a prolonged period of time, allowing the stone to pass, says Lieske.
While narcotic pain medications can be carefully given for this purpose, studies suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs milder pain medications with fewer side effects can be as effective. A review of 36 clinical trials that compared NSAIDs with stronger pain medications for kidney stone pain relief found that NSAIDs were equivalent when it came to pain reduction and led to fewer side effects. 30977-6/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 7)
Tamsulosin is also widely used to help relax the muscles of the ureter, increasing the chance of passing the stone and helping reduce symptoms of pain, Bechis notes. However, new evidence suggests this medication may not add as much benefit as previously thought, he adds. A study published in July 2015 in the Lancet found that tamsulosin didnt help stones pass. 60933-3/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 8)
How long does kidney stone pain last? It depends on how long it takes to pass the stone.
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How Big Are Kidney Stones How Can They Be Removed
Have you ever wondered how big are kidney stones? Stones of > 5mm size are considered as large kidney stones.
Large-sized stones cannot pass through the kidneys without any medical intervention. If they are left to pass on their own, they may take longer time, about a year or more than that and there is a risk of complications. Large sized stones may get struck in the urinary tract and cause extreme pain and bleeding during urination.
The methods involved in the removal of large-sized kidney stones are as follows:
How Large Kidney Stones Are Treated
There are several methods for breaking down or removing large kidney stones, whether minimally invasive or surgically.
Lithotripsy
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is an outpatient procedure that requires either light sedation or anesthesia and usually lasts between 45 minutes and an hour. A lithotripsy uses shock waves that work to break up the kidney stone into much smaller pieces that will pass more easily through the urinary tract.
A ureteroscopy is generally an outpatient procedure that is performed under anesthesia. During this procedure, the surgeon will insert an ureteroscope through the urethra and bladder to the ureters. The ureteroscope is a thin, lighted, tube-like instrument with an eyepiece that allows the urologist to see the kidney stone. Once located, it can be retrieved or broken into smaller pieces using laser energy.
Sometimes, the surgeon will choose to place a stent in the ureter . If placed, it will be removed in approximately four to 10 days during an office visit.
Surgical removal
Depending on its size and location, the urologist may choose to perform a Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy . This procedure requires general anesthesia, and may require an overnight stay in the hospital.
Contact Urology Austin to schedule an appointment at the location nearest you.
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