Healthy Living Newsletter
Kidney Stones…avoiding the pain
Do you sweat a lot while working or exercising? Do you eat a lot of meat, cheese and animal protein? Do you drink less than two liters of water a day? Do you often overindulge on rhubarb, grapes, spinach or strawberries?
If you answered yes to only one of the above questions, you may have an increased risk of having kidney stones.
And you are not alone: about 12 percent of American men and 4 percent of women suffer from a kidney stone at some time in life. And about 70 percent of persons who have had one kidney stone will eventually have another.
A kidney stone is a hard mass that crystallizes from various substances in urine and builds up on the inner surfaces of the kidneys. The most common type consists of calcium combined with oxalate or phosphate.
Individuals who get dehydrated often are at risk of a kidney stone. That includes people who live in hot climates, athletes who sweat a lot and even taxi and truck drivers who have limited opportunities to take rest stops.
Meat and other animal protein tends to lower the pH level of urine, promoting the development of stones. Vegetarians have a lower risk, but rhubarb, grapes, spinach, tea, chocolate and strawberries are high in oxalate, a major component of many stones.
A stone may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball; it may be smooth or jagged. And while small ones may come out in urine without difficulty, larger ones are likely to cause excruciating pain.
A Stone Attack
What’s known as renal colic may develop suddenly with severe pain in the flank, lower abdomen or back, sometimes radiating down into the groin and genitals. As the name “colic” suggests, the pain usually comes in spasms, but it can also be constant, and is the kind of pain that leads to moving around constantly in an effort to become comfortable.
Renal colic is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and blood in the urine. Urinating may cause a burning sensation, and the urine may smell bad and look cloudy.
These symptoms usually indicate that a stone has moved into the urinary tract, irritating it and blocking the flow of urine. If fever and chills occur, an infection may be present, and a doctor should be called immediately.
Renal colic usually lasts no more than 24 hours, and the goal of treatment is usually to make the patient comfortable through painkilling medications. Even if the pain stops, it’s important for the stone to pass to avoid damage to the urinary tract.
A kidney stone measuring four millimeters or less in diameter can usually be passed on its own, although the patient may still have to drink plenty of fluids, use some painkillers and endure some discomfort.
Stones measuring six millimeters and greater often require intervention. As recently as 20 years ago, removing a kidney stone required surgery. Today, a number of less invasive procedures are available on both an outpatient and inpatient basis.
The best way to avoid the pain is to avoid a kidney stone altogether. A simple but important first step is to increase fluid intake - drinking enough to produce at least two quarts of urine a day. Water is best, but fluids containing citrate (such as lemonade or orange juice) are also beneficial. Cutting back on animal protein and oxalate-rich foods is advised.
Talk to your doctor today about other preventive. |
