Kidney
Stone ("Renal Calculus") Introduction: A
kidney stone can slowly develop unnoticed in the center part of the kidney called
renal pelvis. However, when the stone breaks loose and migrates
through the ureter from the kidney to the bladder, the patient suddenly
becomes very sick with excruciating pains (renal colic). About 1 of every thousand
patients has to be admitted to hospital. Of all autopsies for other disease,
the pathologist will find a kidney stone in 1% of the autopsies. About 20% of
patients with gout develop kidney stones. Kidney stone
symptoms: Usually there is back pain initially, which
irradiates into the right upper abdomen. This is the type of pain the patient
experiences when the stone is fairly high at the beginning of the ureter. As
the stone travels down, the sharp edges can injure the ureter and blood appears
in the urine (called"hematuria"). The quality of the pain becomes stronger
and very rhythmic like labor pains. This is because the ureter is made up of the
same smooth muscle tissue as the uterus and physiologically, when a foreign body
(baby or stone) is expelled against resistance the smooth muscle will have rhythmic
contractions. Eventually when the stone arrives close to the bladder, the pain
is in the lower right or left abdomen (depending on which side the stone is) and
radiates into the genital region and the inner thigh area on the affected side.
As a large part of the ureter on the back wall of the abdomen is coated with the
same peritoneal membrane that coats all internal abdominal organs, similar gastrointestinal
symptoms can mask the real diagnosis. This explains why a patient can suddenly
vomit from the peritoneal irritation, get extension and bloatedness of the abdomen
with signs very similar to those of bowel obstruction. Kidney
stone treatment: Usually a patient with these excruciating
symptoms will present at the Emergency Room of a hospital. Pain relief is in the
foreground as this will also facilitate the passing of the stone. Most small stones
will pass within a few hours, others might do so within two or three days. When
urine is put through a strainer, the passed stones can be recovered and analyzed.
About 80% contain calcium (mostly as calcium oxalate), about 5% are uric acid
stones, the remainder are of a variety of salts. Magnesium ammonium phosphate
stones are associated with chronic urinary infections where the bacteria split
urea and form this type of stone, which is very common in women. Plain X rays
and non contrast spiral CT scan will diagnose most kidney stones, the rest can
be visualized by other diagnostic techniques (intravenous urography).
If the stone does not pass within three days, the urologist has several options
of extracting it. Shock wave lithotripsy is the method of choice for most stones
less than 2 cm (=0.8") in diameter. With this treatment energy from a machine
is focused on the stone until it shatters into smaller pieces. This procedure
is repeated until the stone has disintegrated into sand like particles, which
will easily pass. The remaining stones can be removed via endoscopic techniques
through the skin (percutaneous nephrolithotomy) or through the bladder and the
ureter( called "ureteroscopy"). Other surgical techniques exist as well
as does a chemical dissolving method. To establish, which method is best to use
is up to the urologist.
The doctor may have special diet suggestions
as to what to avoid and what to add in the diet to prevent recurrence of a kidney
stone. This will depend on the stone analysis. Pain relief: There
is an FDA approved non-drug method available, IceWave
patches from Lifewave, which will control pain. This is mentioned in the
book "Breakthrough" by Suzanne Somers (Ref. 9) where newer insights
of antiaging medicine are also reviewed. Although the patches are placed over
acupuncture points, there are no needles involved. Nanotechnology, a newer technology,
was used in the manufacturing of these patches and infrared (heat) waves from
body heat are utilized to stimulate an acupuncture point, which modifies pain
perception and reduces pain to half or less. Medically this would be considered
an excellent pain reliever. For more info on the patches see the IceWave patches
from Lifewave link above (click "products"). In the US a 5 pack of the
IceWave spray is available that can be directly sprayed onto the skin in the area
where the pain is located. |
