Wednesday Brief

Today I am writing about a different topic, actually it is about a medical condition which is commonly known as kidney Stone.

Kidney stones are affecting about 12% 0f world’s population. It is generally believed that 50% of the people who are affected by the kidney stones end up losing kidney in the long run if proper care is not taken. This is usually not a fatal condition but the dangers of ignoring this can not be overlooked. Basically the main cause of kidney stones is said to be due to the modern lifestyle, lack of proper exercise and diet. At times certain medicines may cause this condition.

Medically this condition can affect any part of urinary tract, including Kidneys and bladder.  This condition occurs when stones are formed due to the urine concentration, which allow minerals to crystalise and stick together to form a ‘stone’. Some times they are quite harmless and may pass out  without causing any harm or pain. Some times passing them may turn out to  be very painful, and  some times it may need doctor’s intervention.

The general symptoms associated with this conditions are :

•  Pain in the side or back (below the ribs)
• Pain while passing urine.
• Radiating pain in the lower abdomen and groin.
• Colour change in urine to pink, red or brown.
• Pain in waves which may fluctuate in intensity.
• Foul smelling urine. Frequent,urgent need to urinate.
• Urinating in small amounts.
• In extreme cases fever & chills may also occur, if there is an infection.

Various risk factors can contribute to kidney stones, it is good to know about the same, so one may combine with the symptoms to suspect possible kidney stone  :

• Family history- person with family history of kidney stones, generally at risk.
• Dehydration- Not keeping your body sufficiently hydrated by drinking enough water also increases the chances of getting affected by kidney stones.
• Diet- A high protein diet or excessive salt (sodium) and sugar also increases the risk of getting this condition.
• Obesity- Being obese has been linked to a higher risk of getting kidney stones.
• Digestive issues-Certain digestive tract issues, or surgeries done for the same can affect the digestive process, which in turn may limit the absorption of calcium and water, which in turn aids the formation of stone.
• Besides all the above, certain medical conditions may also enhance the risk of formation of stones.

Treatment- Generally, unless the symptoms are very severe, the doctors advise the patient to drink more water and it may happen that stones will pass out through urination. Sometimes hospitalisation may be required, wherein medical team will provide IV hydration with anti inflammatory medicine, when there is no pain. Surgical removal of stones is also done in critical cases. Now a days,  a shock wave therapy called Lithotripsy is also done. The treatment is entirely dependent on the individual patient and nature of the stones, as well as personal  and medical history of the patient.

In the end prevention is always better than the cure. One should dry to avoid getting kidney stones by following certain dietary restriction- drinking more water and limiting the intake of salt and foods with animal based protein. also one should avoid taking too much calcium as supplements. Foods that are recommended to keep kidney stones at bay are:

• Milk and milk based products.
• Calcium fortified foods like cereals, breads, juices, flakes etc.
• Yogurt.
• Fresh Citrus fruits.
• Plant based proteins like beans, peas and lentils.

So if you have a medical history in the family regarding kidney stones, then it is better to keep check on your diet and generally stick to the diet which is recommended.

So friends, how do you like this blog of mine,

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Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

12th Feb 2020.