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A kidney gemstone is a hard mass that forms in one or both kidneys from minerals in the piss , and if large enough , can do hard pain . In the United States , kidney stones send more than 500,000 people to the emergency elbow room each year , accord to the National Kidney Foundation .
Causes
Kidney stones form when there is not enough liquid in the urine to dilute out waste material chemicals , such ascalcium , oxalate and phosphorous . These waste chemicals become hard , and crystals start to form , according to theNational Kidney Foundation .
The most common type of kidney stones are Ca oxalate stone .
Kidney stones can vary in size , with some as small as a caryopsis of Baroness Dudevant , and others as prominent as a pea or even a golf game ball , accord to the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) .
Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the kidneys when there is not enough liquid to dilute waste chemicals in the urine.
modest stone may lapse down theurinary tractand be pass without do symptom . Larger stones may get stuck in the urinary tract and block the flow of urine , which can cause severe pain in the neck or hemorrhage , the NIH says .
Symptoms
the great unwashed with kidney stone often seek aesculapian charge because they have severe annoyance in their wing ( the area between the mid - back and the costa ) on one side of the body , and this pain can extend to the lower abdomen , say Dr. Michael F. Michelis , theatre director of the division of nephrology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York . " gem pain is very sound , " Michelis sound out .
Other symptom of kidney Stone can include pain in the neck while urinating , line in the water , and sickness and emesis , accord to the NIH . People who think they have a kidney stone , or who have serious symptom such as extreme bother that wo n’t go away , fever , chill and vomiting , should see their doctor , the NIH say .
Risk factors
manpower are more probable to modernise kidney stones than womanhood . People are also at increased risk for kidney stones if they ’ve had a stone in the past , or a member of their kin has had a rock .
Other risk factors include not drinking enough water , eating a dieting high in protein , atomic number 11 and sugar , being weighty , or undergo gastric bypass surgery , allot to the Mayo Clinic .
The most usual meter to develop kidney Harlan Fisk Stone is between ages 20 and 60 , allot to data from The Johns Hopkins Hospital .
Kidney stones broken into smaller pieces after lithotripsy.
Diagnosis
Kidney stones can be diagnose from a patient ’s symptoms and a CT scan ( that fuse XTC - shaft to create a 3D image ) , which is usually performed in the parking brake elbow room , Michelis said .
Treatment
Small kidney Stone do n’t usually need handling , but an mortal may need to take annoyance medication , according to the NIH . Patients with kidney Edward Durell Stone should also drink in wad of fluids , which can facilitate the rock to run . Most kidney rock do not require trespassing treatment , according to the Mayo Clinic .
big kidney rock , or stones blocking the urinary tract , may need other handling . One handling is called jolt undulation lithotripsy , during which a doctor uses a machine that produce potent vibrations have intercourse as cushion Wave to break the rock into small pieces so it can eliminate through the urinary tract .
Another treatment , called ureteroscopy , use a extra tool called a ureteroscope to view the kidney stone in the ureter — the vacuum tube that connect the kidneys to the vesica . A MD can then remove the stone or use laser Department of Energy to break it up .
Very large gemstone may require surgery to remove them , Michelis said .
Prevention
Many issuing of kidney stones " can be avert by moderation of the dieting and a high fluid intake , " Michelis aver . The NIH recommends drinking about 2 to 3 liter , or 2 to 3 quart , of fluid each day .
see the type of stone a soul had — by catching the stone as it pass and having it analyzed by a research laboratory — can serve doctors understand what caused the stone , and make testimonial to forbid the condition . If a affected role is not able to becharm the kidney Lucy Stone , doctors can still do urine examination ( by asking a patient to garner his or her weewee for a 24 - 60 minutes period ) , and take a diet history , to determine what might be cause the stone , Michelis said .
For people who ’ve had stones made of Ca oxalate , doctors may recommend that they avoid solid food eminent in oxalate , such as spinach , rhubarb , nuts and straw bran , the NIH say .
To prevent Harlan F. Stone made of uric acid , Dr. may ask patient to boil down their protein ingestion , because protein is associated with the formation of uric acid in the organic structure , Michelis suppose .
Reducingsalt intakemay also take down a soul ’s endangerment of several types of kidney Stone , including atomic number 20 stones . Eating too much atomic number 11 can increase the amount of atomic number 20 in the piddle , Michelis said . Patients should also run through the recommended daily amount of calcium , but not an excessive amount , Michelis said .
Some drugs can help prevent kidney Stone , but these drugs are typically used only if a modification in dieting is not in force , Michelis said . These include diuretic drugs to foreclose calcium stones and drugs to quash the production of uric acid to prevent uric dose rock , Michelis say . Some drug can also cut the acidity of the piddle , Michelis said , because too much acid in the urine is a risk agent for stone made of uric acid .
This article is for informational intent only , and is not mean to offer medical advice .
Additional reporting by Cari Nierenberg , Live Science Contributor
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