Kidney stones is a medical condition occurs when the volume of urine decreases in a person or when an excess of substances, which aid in the formation of kidney stones are present in an individual’s diet. Kidney stone surgery is one of the most common surgeries happening nowadays. This is obviously due to a rise in the occurrence of this disease. The numbers back this up with more than a million cases in each year in India alone. These stones can stay in the body for several weeks, sometimes even months. They often require testing in the laboratories or medical imaging to detect.
However, there are a few symptoms, which you can spot to get a hint about the potential presence of kidney stones in your body. They are:
- Pain in the renal region. This pain is not constant, but intermittent. This radiates outwards from the groin. This is often the most definite symptom of there being something wrong with the kidneys. In men, the testicles often hurt along with the groin.
- Whenever a patient tries to move during this pain, the pain only worsens. This also helps to identify that the cause may be kidney stones.
- Another symptom is the presence of pus or blood in urine. This is because the kidneys can’t function properly. While the blood is easier to detect (red colour), the pus may not be that easy. However, its thicker consistency can be noticeable after constant occurrences.
- Several bouts of fever. The presence of kidney stones may often result in several bouts of fever. However, this is a common symptom so this may get overlooked.
- The patient will find it very difficult to urinate. However, there will always be a sense of urgency whenever they want to urinate. There will also be a frequent burning sensation, which will be very painful.
When the kidney stones are small, they often pass out with little fuss. However, they require treatment when they are large. Kidney stones very rarely form due to one singular cause. However, there are a few factors, which increase the chances of their formation. They are:
- Less consumption of water. When a person does not intake adequate amounts of water for long time spans, they increase the risk of kidney stones by a huge factor, as the kidney is unable to perform the filtration process correctly. However, if you live in a very dry climate with high temperatures, excessive sweating may have the same effects even if you drink an adequate amount of water.
- Genetics. It has often been seen that a person with a history of the condition in their family is more susceptible to this disease.
- Different food items. There are several food items which increase the chances of the formation of kidney stones due to some reason or the other. The diet may have a high content of sodium, or foods that are very acidic in nature. Even the presence of oxalate in the food may have an impact on the formation of these stones.
