PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, Mar 27: Kidney stones can be quite uncomfortable and cause severe abdominal and back pain and difficulty in urination.They are basically hard deposits made of minerals and salt that form inside the kidneys. Faulty diet, too much weight, certain medical conditions and medications can lead to the formation of these stones.
According to MEDICA Urologist Dr Kumar Mrigank Singh, kidney stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together.
Describing the relation of kidney stones with the summer season Dr Mrigank said, “As summers approach, we need to be all the more cautious of kidney stones as the cases usually tend to go up in the hot weather due to people losing a lot of sweat and not compensating it enough with sufficient liquids. If this fluid loss is not supported by adequate hydration, the kidneys tend to make concentrated urine to conserve body water due to which kidney stones are formed.”
“Rising temperature also raises the risk of kidney stones. Buildup of calcium and uric acid in the urine can also lead to the formation of kidney stones which are small or big in size,” says Dr Mrigank.
Describing the symptoms for kidney stones he said that not all kidney stones tend to show symptoms. Once they move around within the kidney or pass into ureters and get stuck there, it may block the flow of urine and can cause the kidney to swell and the ureter to spasm.
“One with kidney stones will exhibit symptoms such as pain and burning sensation while urinating, blood in urine, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and back pain, frequent urination, and fever. Some stones tend to pass on their own without any treatment while others need to be addressed promptly,” says the urologist.
“Shock wave lithotripsy can be done wherein shock waves break up the kidney stones into small pieces that later pass through your urinary tract and out of the body through the urine. A ureteroscopy can be opted for as well. Here a long tube-like tool is inserted into the ureter to take out the small stone, break it into small pieces (using a laser in case the stone is big in size) to allow it to pass via urine,” suggests Dr Mrigank.
“Now with the advancement of surgical techniques such as RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery) and Mini-PCNL, scarless laser stone surgeries are possible,” Dr Mrigank added.
Dr Mrigank suggests important tips for the advancing summer to prevent stone formation:
- It is important to avoid salty and processed foods that could lead to stone formation and empty your bladder at regular intervals.
- It is advised to exercise regularly.
- Drink sufficient water every day to prevent this condition.
- Maintain optimum weight and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent kidney stones.
