What Everyone Should Know About Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are composed of small deposits of minerals and can occur secondary to a number of different conditions. Except for causing pain that may be quite severe, they usually don’t cause any permanent damage to the kidneys. Most of the times they can be managed effectively by simply drinking plenty of water and using pain medications. However, in other circumstances, you may even need to undergo surgery.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

The stones that are located in the kidneys and are of small size usually don’t cause any symptoms. They may pass out on their own without any medication or surgery during micturition.  The symptoms usually occur only when the bigger stones pass through the Ureters or urethra.

In general, the patient may experience one or more of the following symptoms in case of kidney stones.

• Pain: The pain in the settings of kidney stones involves lower back flanks and is also referred to the groin. It is very severe in intensity and is often unbearable for the patients. It may last for a duration of several minutes to several hours.
• Blood in Urine: In case of a large amount of blood loss in urine, the urine color changes from normal pale yellow to a red, pink or a tea color. In other situations when the amount of blood loss in the urine is minute, there is no apparent change in the urine color but the blood in urine can be still be detected upon chemical analysis of urine.
• Increased urinary frequency: The patients suffering from kidney stones tend to have an increased urinary frequency that is often painful as well. This is because kidney stones increase the risk of urinary tract infections and it is the UTIs which basically lead you to have frequent and painful urination. In addition, you may also experience fever, rigors, and chills as well.

Kidney Stones Risk Factors

History of kidney stones in the family, inadequate hydration and certain dietary patterns are found to increase your likelihood of developing kidney stones.

• History of kidney stones in the family: The risk of developing kidney stones is high in people who already have someone in their family suffering from kidneys stones.
• Inadequate Hydration: Adequate hydration is required to prevent stones, thus people who don’t drink plenty of water at an increased risk of stone formation. Similarly, people living in places with extremely hot climates lose a lot of water in the form of perspiration and are more thus prone to develop stones.
• Dietary Patterns: Diets that are high in sodium, oxalates, and sugars are also attributed to an increase in the risk of developing kidney stones.

Do you suffer from kidney stones? Come to Century Medical and Dental Center (Downtown Brooklyn, Gravesend, Flatbush, Fort Greene and Midtown Manhattan) to discuss your treatment options.