Kidney stones are one of the leading causes of kidney failure, with dialysis causing significant harm to both the health and finances of patients. Therefore, early detection and complete treatment of kidney stones are crucial concerns.
Understanding Kidney Stones
1. What are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are formed when minerals in urine crystallize and accumulate in the kidneys over time. Small stones can pass out through urine, while larger stones may accumulate in the kidneys, growing larger and potentially causing blockages in the urinary tract, leading to decreased kidney function. This risk is heightened when infections are present, which can lead to kidney failure.
Kidney stones are more commonly observed in men than in women, typically occurring in individuals aged 30 to 50 years, and are rare in children.
2. Symptoms Suggesting Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are caused by the accumulation of minerals in the kidneys due to various reasons such as insufficient water intake, excessive calcium consumption, or metabolic disorders.
- One of the early and most common signs of kidney stones is frequent and painful urination, even if your fluid intake remains unchanged. The pain during urination is caused by stones moving down to the lower urinary tract (ureters, bladder).
- Patients often experience pain in the flank and lower back, especially in areas where stones are present. In some cases, the pain may radiate from the lower abdomen to the thigh. Patients may experience intermittent pain that can range from mild to severe (renal colic). Men with kidney stones may also experience pain in the scrotum and testicles.
- As stones grow larger, patients may find it difficult to move, sit, or lie in one position for extended periods. Pressure from the stones rubbing against internal organs exacerbates the pain.
- Additionally, when affected by this condition, your urine may change color to cloudy white, red, or contain pus or blood, and may have a foul odor due to stones damaging the urethral mucosa.
- Nausea and vomiting are also common symptoms in patients with kidney stones. The condition can lead to urinary tract infections, resulting in fever and chills.
Kidney stones are one of the leading causes of kidney failure. (Illustration)
3. Causes of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can form due to various reasons, with some primary causes including:
- Mineral Accumulation: This can occur due to insufficient water intake (especially for individuals involved in heavy labor) or holding in urine; abnormalities in the urinary tract or conditions that cause long-term urinary obstruction can lead to stone formation. Patients with prostate enlargement or other obstructions may experience urine retention.
- Poor Dietary Habits: Diets that are heavily biased towards one food group, excessive meat or vegetable consumption, high salt intake, or diets rich in calcium can contribute to stone formation. Patients who have suffered severe injuries and are bedridden may also be at risk due to high dairy intake and insufficient water consumption.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: This cause is more common in women due to the shorter urinary tract, which allows bacteria easier access to cause urinary tract infections, leading to pus formation and mineral deposits that cause stones.
- Presence of Foreign Objects in the Bladder (rare): Foreign objects (leaves, grass, straw, or displaced urinary catheters) may exist in the bladder for various reasons, leading to mineral accumulation and stone formation.
4. Risk Factors for Developing Kidney Stones
- Family or Personal History: If someone in your family has had kidney stones, your risk is increased. If you have previously had one or more kidney stones, you are more likely to develop them again.
- Inadequate Water Intake: Not drinking enough water daily can increase the risk of kidney stones. Individuals living in warm climates or sweating excessively may be at higher risk.
- Specific Diets: Diets high in protein, sodium (salt), and sugar can elevate the risk of certain types of kidney stones, especially those high in sodium. Excess salt intake can increase the amount of calcium your kidneys need to filter, significantly raising the risk of kidney stones.
Not drinking enough water and a high sodium diet can lead to kidney stones. (Illustration).
- Obesity: A high body mass index (BMI), large waist size, and weight gain are associated with an increased risk of kidney stones.
- Digestive Disorders and Surgery: Gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, or chronic diarrhea can cause changes in digestion that affect calcium and water absorption, increasing the levels of stone-forming substances in your urine.
- Other Medical Conditions: Conditions that may increase the risk of kidney stones include renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism, certain medications, and various urinary tract infections.
5. Preventing Kidney Stones
- Drink Plenty of Water: This is the first advice doctors give you. Adequate water intake not only improves blood circulation and dissolves substances but also helps regulate body temperature and eliminate waste products to prevent illness.
- Limit Salt and Reduce Calcium Intake: These are two factors that should be reduced in your diet as they are closely related to the formation of kidney stones.
- Scientific Nutrition: A balanced diet that provides all necessary nutrients without bias towards any particular element.
- Increase Lemon Water Consumption: Citric acid found in lemons helps prevent minerals and other components in urine from sticking together and forming kidney stones.
- Limit Foods High in Oxalate: Oxalate can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate stones. If you have had kidney stones, you may need to reduce or eliminate oxalate from your diet. Foods high in oxalate include chocolate, sweet potatoes, tea, beets, peanuts, and peeled fruits.
- Avoid Excessive Vitamin C: Dr. Duong Van Trung, head of the Urology Department at the Postal Hospital in Hanoi, states that long-term daily supplementation of vitamin C can lead to excess, increasing calcium absorption from the intestine, raising blood calcium levels, and causing kidney stones. It’s best to get vitamin C from food, which is abundant in fresh fruits and vegetables. People should consume the recommended amount and not need additional supplements.
- Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing you to urinate more, leading to dehydration, especially when consumed in large quantities. Alcohol also affects the kidneys’ ability to maintain water and electrolyte balance, which can impair kidney function and increase the risk of stone formation.
Patients often experience pain in the flank and lower back, especially where the stones are located.
6. Treatment Methods for Kidney Stones
In recent years, advancements in the medical field have greatly improved the treatment of kidney stones and urinary stones. Instead of surgery, patients can opt for medical treatments, surgical methods, or a combination of Western and Traditional medicine along with dietary and exercise therapies.
The choice of treatment method for kidney stones depends on criteria such as the location of the stones, size, density, and kidney function…
- Surgical Treatment: For large stones or those with complications, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or surgical stone removal is often indicated. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses laser or shock waves to break the stones into smaller fragments, allowing the body to expel them through urine. This method is typically painless and is suitable for stones smaller than 3 cm.
- Retrograde Lithotripsy: The doctor will use a ureteroscope to access the stone directly through the urethra, bladder, and ureter, employing laser or pneumatic energy to fragment the stone and wash it out.
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: This involves creating a tunnel to the kidney and inserting a 10-15mm diameter endoscope to reach the stone. Stones are broken up using laser, pneumatic, or ultrasonic methods and removed.
- Endoscopic Stone Surgery: Indicated for renal pelvis stones and stones located in the upper third of the ureter. This method is suitable for large, dense stones that are difficult to break.
- Open Surgery: Currently, open surgery is rarely indicated due to various complications and prolonged recovery time. This method is only applied for large stones in the kidneys or ureters when renal function is poor.
- Robotic Surgery: This is performed in developed countries and is indicated for large kidney stones, reducing hospital stay (2-3 days) but comes with a high cost.
- Medical Treatment: Surgery is only indicated for patients experiencing acute pain or urinary obstruction due to the stone blocking the urinary tract. For small stones or cases without complications, oral medications to dissolve stones are more suitable due to their safety, convenience, and appropriateness for individuals with weak health or those afraid of surgery.
Foods to Limit When Having Kidney Stones
- Protein: Doctors indicate a close relationship between high protein intake and kidney stones, as it increases acid, calcium, and phosphorus levels in urine. Therefore, individuals with kidney stones should limit their protein intake to about 200g per day.
- Salt: Patients should consume a maximum of 3g of salt per day. It is advisable to eat as bland as possible. Limit processed foods and canned goods, as they contain high salt levels.
- Sugar and fatty foods.
- Limit carbonated drinks, soft drinks, tea, coffee, beer, and alcohol…
- You should not self-prescribe supplements or functional foods without consulting a doctor.
- Diet plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of kidney stone treatment. Therefore, patients need to strictly follow dietary guidelines to completely treat the condition and prevent the recurrence of kidney stones, which can negatively impact health and daily life.
Drinking lemon water daily helps prevent kidney stones
Calcium from milk does not increase the risk of kidney stones
