Kidney Stones: Causes, Types, Diagnosis & Treatment

If you notice blood in the urine or experience severe pain or burning sensation while urinating, consult a doctor immediately. These are the primary signs of kidney stones. 

Therefore, individuals suffering from such symptoms must know certain facts to manage kidney stones and their symptoms efficiently. 

Stay with us and get informed about kidney stones.

A kidney stone is a hard object that forms due to high levels of minerals and salts dissolved in the urine.

Kidneys filter waste from the blood and complete the formation of urine. When salts and minerals stick together in the urine, they create kidney stones. The size of such stones can range from that of a sugar crystal to that of a ping pong ball.

This can fill the hollow inner structure of your kidneys. However, sometimes these can remain without causing any pain or related issues.

In some cases, these stones can travel to the ureter. When they reach the bladder, they can pass through the urine. However, if these stones clog the ureter, it blocks urine movement from the kidneys, which might cause mild to severe pain.

From the above discussion, it is clear how one gets kidney stones. Next, individuals must learn about the symptoms related to such a condition.

One of the telling symptoms of kidney stones includes sharp and cramping pain in the side and back. This pain can sometimes move to the lower abdomen or groin. Also, this sharp and cramping pain can often come (in waves) and go as the body tries to pass the stone through urine. 

Apart from this, there are other kidney stone symptoms which are discussed below - 

• Odorous urine. 
• Frequent urination.
• Burning sensation while passing urine.
• Dark or red urine due to the presence of blood. Sometimes urine may contain a small number of blood cells that cannot be seen through the naked eye.
• Pain followed by nausea and vomiting.
• A sharp feeling at the tip of the penis in the case of men.
• Fever and chills in case of an infection.

One must note that the pain and its intensity caused by kidney stones may change depending on the location the stone shifts or moves to in one’s body.

The write-up mentioned above thoroughly discusses kidney stones and symptoms. Now let us focus on the section of reasons that cause such stones to form.

Below is discussed the common causes of kidney stones.

Low Output of Urine

Low urine output is one of the major reasons for kidney stone formation. This condition can occur due to dehydration, which can be triggered by heavy exercise, insufficient water consumption, or living or working in a hot and humid place.

Low urine volume indicates that the urine is concentrated. It means it has less fluid to keep the salts dissolved. This condition can cause stones in your kidneys.

Bowel Conditions

Bowel conditions like Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis (that can lead to severe diarrhoea) or surgeries like gastric bypass surgery can increase the chance of calcium oxalate retention and stone formation.

In addition, diarrhoea can result in excess loss of fluid from the body, further ending up in low urine output. Sometimes the body can absorb more oxalate from the intestine, increasing the amount of oxalate in the urine. Therefore, factors like low volume urine and an increased level of urine oxalate can lead to calcium oxalate kidney stone formation.

Obesity

Obesity is another reason that can cause kidney stones. Obesity can alter the acid levels in the urine.

Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions like abnormal growth in the parathyroid glands, distal renal tubular acidosis, etc., can also cause kidney stones.

Medications

Individuals taking Potassium-sparing diuretics, such as triamterene, Protease inhibitors such as Indinavir, and antivirals such as Acyclovir are likely to suffer from stones. Thus, such individuals must talk to their healthcare professionals regarding the side effects of these medications.

Diet

Foods that cause kidney stones include animal protein such as fish, chicken, beef, and pork. An animal protein enriched diet can increase the acid level in the body as well as in urine. This can lead to calcium oxalate and uric acid stone formation. Moreover, too much salt intake can also lead to calcium stone formation.

The section mentioned above answers what causes kidney stones. Now let us move to the discussion of different types of kidney stones.

Here is a list of different types of kidney stones.

Calcium Stones

Calcium stones are the most common type of kidney stone. These form in the body in two variants, namely calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Individuals having an increased amount of calcium in the urine are more likely to suffer from the same.

Uric Acid Stones

Uric acid, a waste product, deposits due to the chemical changes in the body. Urine, which has a high level of acids, cannot dissolve uric acid crystals. This, in turn, leads to uric acid stone formation. Acidic urine can be created because of obesity, chronic diarrhoea, gout etc.

Struvite/Infection Stones

Another type is struvite/infection stones, which are associated with urinary tract infections. Individuals with urinary tract infections or incomplete bladder emptying (because of neurological disorder) are prone to this type of stone.

Cystine Stones

Cystinuria is a rare medical condition where kidneys do not reabsorb cystine (an amino acid), and the level increases in the urine, causing cystine stones to form.

Till now, we have discussed the different types of kidney stones in humans. Keep reading to know how such disorders are diagnosed.

When individuals visit doctors with the symptoms of kidney stones, they start the process by investigating the medical history, followed by physical examination and imaging tests.

The diagnostic test for kidney stones include,

• Computerised Tomography (CT) scan (from the kidney to the bladder) is the best test for kidney stone diagnosis.
• KUB X-ray (kidney-ureter-bladder x-ray) is the best way to know the size and position of stones.
• Urine tests (urine pH test, 24-hour urine collection, urinalysis with microscopy).
• Blood tests help identify the causes of kidney stones and problems in kidney functionality, anaemia, and infection diagnosis.

Based on the test results, doctors can determine the type of stone and treatment accordingly.

Kidney stone treatment depends on the type and size of the stones.

1. Treatment for Small Stones

• Doctors initially ask patients to drink considerable water to pass stones through urine. It is one way to conduct kidney stone treatment without surgery. 
• Doctors prescribe some medications (known as alpha-blockers) to pass urine with minimal pain. 

However, if doctors diagnose a large stone, detect problems in urine flow, or find an infection, they may recommend surgery.

2. Treatment for Large Stones

Kidney stone surgeries include -

Shock Wave Lithotripsy- Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is one of the most common types of surgery to treat stones present in the uterus and kidney. In this kidney stone treatment, high-energy shock waves help break down large stones into smaller pieces. These then pass out of the body through the urine.

Laser Lithotripsy- In this kidney stone laser treatment, a laser is used to break the stones. After this treatment, the remaining parts exit the body when the patient urinates.

Ureteroscopy- Ureteroscopy refers to the process where a thin tube is inserted through the urinary tract to the location of the stone. Here, doctors break the stone into small parts and remove those through the tube. In ureteroscopy, surgeons do not make any incision in the body.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or Nephrolithotripsy- In Percutaneous nephrolithotomy or nephrolithotripsy, surgeons make a small incision in the patient's back to insert a nephroscope to make a pathway to the kidney. In nephrolithotomy, surgeons remove the stone using specialised tools. On the other hand, if surgeons first break the stone with these tools, the process is called Nephrolithotripsy.

Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Nephrolithotomy-In the case of large stones, surgeons opt for robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephrolithotomy. Here, surgeons make a small incision in the abdomen and insert surgical tools to open up the kidney and take out the stone. In this process, the surgical tools are controlled from a computer console in the operating room to ensure precision.

Kidney stone prevention involves following the tips mentioned below - 

• Individuals need to stay hydrated.
• They have to reduce sodium intake.
• Foods that will prevent kidney stones include low or nil amounts of animal proteins.
• Individuals should also avoid vitamin C supplements.
• A kidney stone prevention diet plan must include calcium-enriched food.
• The diet should not include oxalate-rich food items.

Now that individuals know everything related to kidney stones, i.e., symptoms, causes, treatment, they can easily prevent them by taking the necessary precautions.