Causes Of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones form when there is a change in the balance of water, salts and minerals found in urine. Common causes of kidney stones include:
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Dehydration/not drinking enough water
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Eating foods high in sugar or salt
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Genetic predisposition
Kidney stones are most common in men between the ages of 20 and 49. The primary reasons men are more likely to develop kidney stones include:
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Diet. A high protein, high salt diet makes kidney stones more likely. Men tend to have a greater intake of both.
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Dehydration. Men tend to drink less water than the recommended daily intake about 64 ounces a day.
How Long Does It Take To Pass A Kidney Stone
The amount of time that it takes to pass a kidney stone can vary depending on the size of the stone. Generally, small stones are able to pass through the urine within 1-2 weeks , often without any treatment.
On the other hand, larger stones may take 2-3 weeks to move through the kidneys and into the bladder.
Stones that dont pass on their own within 4 weeks typically require medical treatment.
2.5 liters of urine each day. Increasing the amount of urine you pass helps flush the kidneys.
You can substitute ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, and fruit juice for water to help you increase your fluid intake. If the stones are related to low citrate levels, citrate juices could help prevent the formation of stones.
Eating oxalate-rich foods in moderation and reducing your intake of salt and animal proteins can also lower your risk of kidney stones.
Your doctor may prescribe medications to help prevent the formation of calcium and uric acid stones. If youve had a kidney stone or youre at risk for a kidney stone, speak with your doctor and discuss the best methods of prevention.
In addition to drinking more water, making modifications to your diet could also help prevent kidney stones.
Here are some foods that you may need to
Animal proteins like meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products can increase levels of uric acid in your urine and increase the risk of developing kidney stones.
Are There Any Foods Or Drinks That Help Treat Kidney Stones Are There Any Home Remedies
There are three liquids rumored to help with kidney stones:
- Cranberry juice. Although cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections , it doesnt help with kidney stones.
- Apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is acidic and it can sometimes create changes to your urine, which helps with kidney stones. But, this doesnt always help. Talk to your healthcare provider about the use of vinegar.
- Lemon juice. Lemon juice is rich in citrate, which can help prevent kidney stones from forming. Citrates are found in several citrus fruits including lemons, limes, oranges and melons.
- Coffee. Studies show that coffee may decrease your risk of developing kidney stones.
Avoid soda and other drinks with added sugar or fructose corn syrup. They increase your risk.
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Blocked Ureter And Kidney Infection
A kidney stone that blocks the ureter can lead to a kidney infection. This is because waste products are unable to pass the blockage, which may cause a build-up of bacteria.
The symptoms of a kidney infection are similar to symptoms of kidney stones, but may also include:
- a high temperature of 38C or over
- chills and shivering
Kidney stones are usually formed following a build-up of certain chemicals in the body.
This build-up may be any of the following:
- uric acid a waste product produced when the body breaks down food to use as energy
- cysteine an amino acid that helps to build protein
Certain medical conditions can lead to an unusually high level of these substances in your urine.
You’re also more likely to develop kidney stones if you don’t drink enough fluids.
How To Lower Your Risk Of Kidney Stones
Symptoms of kidney stones include a sharp, stabbing pain in the mid-back that occurs every few minutes, nausea and vomiting, pain in the lower abdomen, blood in the urine or a burning sensation when you urinate, frequent trips to the bathroom, fever and pain in the lower abdomen. If you experience any of these symptoms or severe pain as a result of them, its best to see a doctor as soon as possible. He or she can perform a blood or urine test or an ultrasound or stone protocol CT to confirm the diagnosis and give you medication such as an alpha blocker to help you pass the stone more quickly. However, most kidney stones dont require medical treatment to pass on their own. In some people, passing kidney stones can be incredibly painful, but others just may need to drink more water or take a pain reliever to pass a small stone.
The bottom line is that kidney stones are preventable with lifestyle changes and increasing fluid intake. Yes, weather increases your risk of stone disease, but monitoring your diet is the most effective way to avoid this condition and limit its recurrence.
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Not Drinking Enough Water
Though dehydration may be the result of a medical condition, many people who get kidney stones simply dont drink enough water. This is especially important if you live in a place with a warm climate, like Florida.
Not all contributing factors to kidney stones are controllable. For example, youre more likely to develop kidney stones if you have a family history, and as mentioned, your risk increases with age. However, if you have any of these risk factors, its important to be extra cautious and take whatever steps you can to prevent kidney stones.
Previous Study Shows Link Between Gallstone And Kidney Stone Risk
A study outlined that those who develop kidney stones have a higher risk of developing gallstones and vice versa. Obesity, diabetes and an unhealthy diet have been linked to the development of stones, but when researchers took those factors into consideration the association still remained.
Even though an association has been found, researchers are still puzzled about what links the two conditions because they have very difference causes gallstones require cholesterol and kidney stones require minerals.
The researchers analyzed three different long-term studies of nurses and doctors who completed health and lifestyle questionnaires. More than 240,000 participants were followed for 14 to 24 years. Approximately 5,100 cases of kidney stones developed along with 18,500 cases of gallstones.
The researchers found that in those with a history of gallstones there was a 26 to 36 percent higher likelihood of developing kidney stones. A prior history of kidney stones increased the risk of developing gallstones by 17 to 51 percent.
Although the association between the two conditions is still unclear, its important that individuals use preventative methods to reduce the risk of both.
As both gallstones and kidney stones have similar prevention methods, staying hydrated, eating well reducing cholesterol and exercising are all integral ways to lower your risk of both.
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Kidney Stone Mystery Solved: Why Some People Are More Prone To Develop Kidney Stones
- Date:
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Summary:
- New research provides evidence to explain why some people are more likely to develop kidney stones than others. Their discovery opens the door to finding effective drug treatments and a test that could assess a persons risk of the condition.
Kidney stones strike an estimated 1 million Americans each year, and those who have experienced the excruciating pain say it is among the worst known to man .
Now, new research by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis provides evidence to explain why some people are more prone to develop the condition than others. Their discovery opens the door to finding effective drug treatments and a test that could assess a person’s risk of kidney stones.
“Now, we finally have a more complete picture detailing why some people develop kidney stones and others do not,” says senior author Jianghui Hou, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. “With this information, we can begin to think about better treatments and ways to determine a person’s risk of the condition, which typically increases with age.”
The research, in mice, is now available online in the EMBO Journal, published by the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Most kidney stones form when the urine becomes too concentrated, allowing minerals like calcium to crystallize and stick together. Diet plays a role in the condition — not drinking enough water or eating too much salt also increases the risk of stones.
Race Ethnicity & Kidney Disease
33% of American adults are at risk for kidney disease.
Yes, one in three people.
If you are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, heritage you may be at an increased risk for kidney disease.
Black or African Americans are more than 3 times as likely and Hispanics or Latinos are 1.3 times more likely to have kidney failure compared to White Americans.
Minority populations have much higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease, all of which increase the risk for kidney disease. Access to healthcare may also play a role.
The key is to find kidney disease as early as possible and understand its risk factors before the trouble starts. Regular testing for everyone is important and is especially important for people at risk.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer may not produce any noticeable symptoms in its early stages. However, as the tumor grows, symptoms may begin to appear. For that reason, kidney cancer is often not diagnosed until it has begun to spread.
Symptoms of kidney cancer can include:
- Blood in the urine .
- A lump or mass in the kidney area.
- Pain in the side.
- A general sense of not feeling well.
- Loss of appetite and/or weight.
- Low-grade fever.
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Whats The Urinary Tract How Does It Work
Your urinary tract is vital to your body because it gets rid of waste and extra fluid. Its made up of both your kidneys, two ureters, your bladder and your urethra. Each organ has an important job :
- Kidneys: Your fist-sized, bean-shaped kidneys are located on either side of your spine, below your rib cage. Each day they filter 120 to 150 quarts of your blood to remove waste and balance fluids. Your kidneys make one to two quarts of urine every day.
- Ureters: After your kidney creates urine, the liquid travels through the tube-shaped ureter to the bladder. There is one ureter per kidney. Kidney stones can pass through the ureters or, if theyre too big, get stuck in them. You may require surgery if the stone is too large.
- Bladder: Between your hip bones is your bladder, an organ that stores urine. It stretches to hold about one and a half to two cups.
- Urethra: Like a ureter, your urethra is a tube through which urine passes. Its the final stop of the urinary tract where your urine leaves your body. This is called urination.
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Gallstones Vs Kidney Stones Common Risk Connection Treatment And Prevention
Gallstones and kidney stones share a common risk connection as well as symptoms. A gallstone is a hard lump that forms in the bile duct or gallbladder. When bile contains too much cholesterol or bilirubin, then gallstones are formed. Kidney stones, on the other hand, form when there is insufficient fluid in the body, so mineral deposits form together to make stones.
Who Gets Kidney Stones And Why
The lifetime risk of kidney stones among adults in the US is approximately 9%, and it appears that global warming may be increasing that risk. There are four major types of kidney stones: calcium oxalate/calcium phosphate, uric acid, struvite , and cystine.
A risk factor for all stones, regardless of type, is dehydration. Anyone who is prone to kidney stones should pay attention to good hydration. A randomized trial has shown that drinking 2 liters of fluid a day reduces the likelihood of stone recurrence by about half. The American Urological Association guideline for medical management of kidney stones recommends that patients who form kidney stones should aim to drink more than 2.5 liters of fluid per day.
Anyone with symptoms of kidney stones should be referred to a urologist. The initial evaluation will often include blood, urine, and imaging studies. Decisions about testing, and ultimately treatment, should be made jointly by the physician and the patient. Lets look at specific risk factors and treatment for each of the major stone types.
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Your Gout Flare May Come With An Unexpected Side Effect: Kidney Stones Here Are More Signs Your Kidney Stones Could Be Related To Gout And How To Treat Your Uric Acid Stones
Gout and kidney stones can both be incredibly painful conditions. They are both related to kidney function. But how are they related to each other? Can gout cause kidney stones, or can having kidney stones predispose you to gout?
Heres what you need to know if youre concerned about either of these conditions and how theyre connected.
Gout develops when the body has high levels of uric acid, a normal waste product. This is known as hyperuricemia. Uric acid is normally excreted through the body via the kidneys, but in some people, levels can remain high and uric acid can start to accumulate and crystallize in various joints. A gout attack can feel like a burning pain or a tingling sensation, depending on where the attack occurs. Regardless, the pain is, off the charts, completely intolerable, as CreakyJoints member Louise B. previously told us.
For people whose kidneys dont filter waste well, the excess uric acid can crystalize in the kidney and form a type of kidney stone known as a uric acid stone.
However, uric acid kidney stones are just one type of kidney stone. Other types of kidney stones are unrelated to gout and can develop from a build-up of other substances, such as calcium, struvite, or cystine chemicals your body gets rid of through the kidneys. Kidney stones can feel like a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side, according to the Urology Care Foundation.
Kidney Stones: Who Is At Risk
- In Blog, Fort Myers, FL, Videos
Kidney stones are a common medical issue that arises when hard deposits of minerals form in the kidney and can affect the urinary tract. These stones can cause severe pain in the abdomen and groin, nausea, and pain during urination. Kidney stones have no single or set cause. Anyone is at risk of developing kidney stones at some point in life.
Although anyone can develop stones, there are certain factors that can indicate who gets them and how they occur. As urologist Dr. David S. Harris states, There are certain features of a persons stone history that are predictors to us if theyre going to have more stones. A patient suffering from kidney stones will want to consult a urologist to see what can be done to limit the chances of developing kidney stones in the future.
A urologist may want to do a urine or blood analysis to see if there are any reasons for a patient to develop kidney stones. A urologist also may want to address some common risk factors for kidney stones. For instance, dehydration is a very common cause of kidney stones. For this reason, people who live in warm climates and are at greater risk of dehydration are also at greater risk of developing kidney stones. A urologist may recommend that someone living in a warm climate like Florida drink plenty of fluids every day.
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What Causes A Kidney Stone
A kidney stone develops from crystals that build up in the kidney. Urine normally contains chemicals that prevent or slow the crystals from forming. But stones still form in some people. Small crystals can travel through the urinary tract and pass out of the body in the urine without even being noticed. A larger stone can get stuck in a ureter. The ureter is the small tube between the kidney and the bladder. A large stone can also get stuck in the bladder or the urethra. The urethra is the tube from the bladder that takes urine out of the body. A large stone may block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
How Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Patients With Kidney Stones
Remote patient monitoring can help patients with kidney stones in a number of ways. For one, it can help to catch problems early on so that treatment can be administered more effectively. Additionally, RPM can help to ensure that patients adhere to their prescribed treatment plans, which can be vital for preventing or managing kidney stones.
If you are one of the more than 26 million Americans with chronic kidney disease , you may be interested in using remote patient monitoring to help you manage your condition. RPM is a technology that allows you to monitor your health from home. You can use RPM to send readings to your kidney specialist, and your doctor can use RPM to review patient data and talk to you remotely.
RPM can also collect patients medical data remotely and transmit it to care providers. This can help doctors improve the quality of care they provide to patients with CKD.
Takeaway
A combination of lifestyle modifications that are simple yet effective may be used to prevent kidney stones. Remote Patient Monitoring can help patients with early detection, treatment adherence, and prevention of health deterioration.
We provide information on remote patient monitoring, lifestyle and diet for those living with kidney disease. Read more:
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