Symptoms of Kidney Stones - Essay Example

Kidney Stones Introduction The medical condition of the development of kidney stones has become quite prevalent throughout the world and is impacting people belonging to different genders, race as well as ages. Romero conducted a literature review analysis on the subject of kidney stones and identified that within the region of the United States alone, a total of 1116 individuals have experienced the medical issue of kidney stone out of a total population of 100,000 individuals (Romero, 2010, p.2). This means that around 1.6% of the total population have either experienced or are experiencing kidney stones. This medical condition is spreading at a very high pace throughout the world and it is necessary for physicians to understand the pathophysiology as well as the causes, symptoms, treatment and diagnoses of this medical condition to help the people around the world in preventing this disease from developing and helping those who are already suffering from this medical condition. Background Information The term kidney stones is used to refer to a medical condition in which little but hard deposits are developed within the kidneys of an individual and these deposits are developed from different acidic salts and minerals. There are several reasons due to which medical condition can be developed and this medical condition can impact different portions of the urinary tract including the bladder as well as the kidneys of an individual. The main reason due to which these stones are developed is that the urine of an individual may become concentrated in nature and this may allow different acidic salts to combine together resulting in the development of crystal like substances called stones. In the development of kidney stones the endocrine system is involved because an individual suffering from primary hyperparathyroidism may experience that their smaller intestine are absorbing higher levels of calcium from their diet and this increases the calcium levels of an individual’s blood (Moe, 2006, p.333). Due to increase in these calcium levels more and more calcium is transferred to urine which may ultimately lead to the development of kidney stones. Physiology Of Kidney Stones The urine of an individual may consists of higher levels of dissolved substances that should exist in the urine along with more than one calculus developing material. Due to this a single crystal may be developed due to the procedure of nucleation. The development of mixed nucleation takes place at a faster pace as compared to similar nucleation. This event takes place because mixed nucleation needs lower degree of energy to develop as compared to similar nucleation (Moe, 2006, p.333). A small calculus forming crystal sticks to the superficial cells of the renal papilla and accumulates rapidly to develop into a huge calculus. If the urine pH level exceeds normal physiological limits of pH, this may elevate the tendency of the development of calculus. Tendency of the substance to form urinary tract calculus is mainly dependent on the acidic or alkaline strength of urine. This means that the solubility of acid within urine is dependent on the level of pH. Furthermore, if the pH level is high the solubility of acid is higher and vice-versa. The development of stones of uric acid is dependent on the mixture of lower levels of pH and simultaneously higher levels of acid in urine. Furthermore, higher levels of uric acid are not only responsible for the development of stones if the pH level is on the higher end. It is not necessary that higher levels of dissolved substances is the key to the development of kidney stones but it is considered as the main cause of the development of these stones (Parmar, 2004, p.1421). Urine that is considered normal consists of chelating substances including citrate and these substances constrain the development as well as expansion of crystals that comprise of calcium. Various other organisms even exist within the urine and if these substances do not develop in normal levels, this can lead to the development of keystones but this course of action of the keystones has not yet been well researched. Symptoms Of Kidney Stones The symptoms of kidney stones are dependent on the size of the stone. In case an individual has experienced the development of small sized kidney stone, the stone may exit the system in a painless manner when the individual urinates (Curhan, 1993, p.836). In case the stone is larger in size, it may stick within the kidney of an individual and may travel in those tubes that connect the bladder of an individual with the kidney and due to this the ureter becomes blocked. Due to blockage of ureter the stone may result in excessive and bearable pain and may even result in infection (Curhan, 1993, p.837). Due to this an individual may experience prolonged periods of aching sensation in the lower back region and the pain may be experienced in the groin region and the males may experience the pain in their testicles. Due to this the individual suffering from this medical condition may not be able to relax the pain by resting and may experience restlessness. Furthermore the individual may experience vomiting along with a continuous desire to urinate and may experience bloody urine. Causes Of Kidney Stones There are various different causes of kidney stones and are mainly formed when there is a lack in the substances that may protect the combination of crystals inside the kidney. The cause of kidney stone is mainly dependent on the form of the kidney stone that has been developed. In case of calcium stones, the dietary practices of an individual are the main causes because calcium is a substance that is most commonly found in food products such as fruits and vegetables (Curhan, 1993, p.835). In case of struvite stones, the main cause of the development of the stone is some form of infection of the urinary tract and these stones are quite larger in size as compared to other stones (Curhan, 1993, p.838). If an individual experiences development of uric acid stones, the underlying cause is again dietary practices such as lack of fluid intake and more consumption of diet that is high in proteins. Treatment For Kidney Stones There are several ways of treating kidney stones and the treatment is dependent on the form of kidney stone. In case of smaller sized kidney stones the passage of kidney stone through urination is the best treatment. For this treatment alpha blockers may be prescribed in order to help in the relaxation of the muscles of ureter which can assist in passing the stones in a less painful manner. In case of larger kidney stones, certain medical procedures may be conducted such as usage of sound waves in order to breakdown stones into smaller size so that the patient finds it easier to pass the stones through urine. Furthermore the patient may have to undergo surgery called percutaneous nephrolithotomy in order to get the kidney stone removed (Madara, 2008, p.497). If the kidney stone has been developed due because the patient is suffering from hyperparathyroidism and in order to treat such a patient a surgery may be needed to stop the expansion of parathyroid glands and this in turn will stop the formation of kidney stones. Conclusion Kidney stones are a term used to refer to the development of crystal like substances in the kidney of an individual. The medical condition is being experienced by several individuals with more than 1.6% Americans suffering this medical condition each year. There are several symptoms of this medical condition and the main one is excessive pain in the lower back region of an individual. The causes of kidney stone development are an individual’s dietary habits as well as certain medical conditions such as hyperparathyroidism. Kidney stones can be treated through surgery as well as certain surgical methods. Works Cited Curhan, Gary C. et al. 'A Prospective Study Of Dietary Calcium And Other Nutrients And The Risk Of Symptomatic Kidney Stones'. New England Journal of Medicine 328.12 (1993): 833-838. Web. Madara, Bernadette, and Vanessa Pomarico-Denino. Pathophysiology. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008. Print. Moe, Orson W. "Kidney Stones: Pathophysiology and Medical Management." The Lancet. 367.9507 (2006): 333-344. Print. Parmar, Malvinder S. "Kidney Stones." Bmj: British Medical Journal. 328.7453 (2004): 1420-1424. Print.< http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC421787/> Romero, V, H Akpinar, and DG Assimos. "Kidney Stones: a Global Picture of Prevalence, Incidence, and Associated Risk Factors." Reviews in Urology. 12 (2010): 2-3. Print. < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931286/> Read More