One of the most common kidney diseases are stones. Any disease, if detected early, can be treated effectively. Kidney stones can be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Even larger stones can be largely asymptomatic if they don’t impede the flow of urine.
Kidney stones can be small and travel undetected through the urinary tract, but others can develop to the size of a golf ball. Larger stones can cause significant discomfort when they leave the body. Kidney stones, if left untreated, can cause urinary problems, infections and kidney damage.
Symptoms:
A kidney stone that gets stuck causes pain. This pain is often intense and affects only one side of the body.
Renal colic is pain caused by a stone stuck in the tube (ureter) that drains urine from the kidney. It can last from a few minutes to several hours and occurs in spasms.
Blood in the urine can result from the stone scraping against the inside of the ureter.
Infections of the urine can cause high temperature, uncomfortable urination, and increased urinary frequency.
Precautionary actions:
Doctors recommend that patients drink enough water to pass 2.05 liters of urine per 24 hours. The most essential step to reduce the risk of kidney stones is to limit fluid consumption.
Reduce your intake of foods high in oxalate, such as rhubarb, black pepper, spinach, sweet potatoes, okra, almonds, tea, chocolate and soy products to prevent the formation of calcium oxalate stones.
Low-salt and animal protein diet: People should limit their consumption of salt and animal protein. To protect against this disease, salt alternatives can be explored.
According to a 2013 study, vitamin C supplementation could increase the risk of kidney stones.
Be careful with calcium substitutes: While consuming calcium-rich foods is not prohibited, calcium substitutes should not be used.
Treatments:
Treatment will focus on symptom control and stone removal. There are different approaches for this. Treatment involves a large consumption of fluids, orally or intravenously, and pain medications to help pass stones.
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