Thursday, November 24, 2011

Kidney Stones


MedicineNet Doctors

Suggested Reading on Kidney Stones by Our Doctors

    • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI In Adults)
      • Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
    • Abdominal Pain
      • Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
    • High Blood Pressure
      • High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above 140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
    • Gout
      • Gout is a condition that results from crystals of uric acid depositing in tissues of the body. Gout is a condition that can lead to abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney function and kidney stones.
    • Lower Back Pain
      • There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.
    • Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
      • Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
    • Dehydration
      • Dehydration is the excessive loss of body water. There are a number of causes of dehydration including heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise, and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The best way to treat dehydration is to prevent it from occurring.
    • Kidney Infection
      • Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) usually is caused from bacteria that have spread from the bladder from a UTI (urinary tract infection), poor hygiene, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, catheter, cystoscope exam, surgery, kidney stones, or prostate enlargement. Symptoms of kidney infection include: back pain, frequent urination, pain during urination, fever, and or pus or blood in the urine. Kidney infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
    • Nausea and Vomiting
      • Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
    • Fever
      • Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
    • Blood in Urine
      • Blood in the urine is termed hematuria. Hematuria, whether it be gross or microscopic, is abnormal and should be further investigated.
    • Polycythemia (High Red Blood Cell Count)
      • Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
    • Blood In Semen
      • Blood in semen is also known as hematospermia. Blood in semen can be caused by many conditions affecting the tubes that distribute semen from the testicles (seminal vesicles) or the prostate gland. Symptoms that may accompany blood in semen include blood in the urine, fever, painful urination, pain with ejaculation, tenderness, and swelling in the testes or groin area. Urinalysis, ultrasound, and MRI may be used to diagnose blood in the semen. Treatment depends upon the underlying cause of blood in the semen.
    • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Intestinal Problems of IBD)
      • The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two diseases.
    • Testicular Pain (Pain in the Testicles)
      • Testicular pain, or pain in the testicle or testicles are caused by a variety of diseases or conditions such as testicular trauma, testicular torsion, testicular cancer, epididymitis, and orchitis. Common symptoms of pain in the testicle or testicles are abdominal pain, urinary pain or incontinence, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the scrotum or testicle. Treatment depends on the cause of the testicular pain or pain in the testicles.
    • Bladder Infection
      • E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
    • Hydronephrosis
      • Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
    • Hyperparathyroidism
      • Hyperparathyroidism is a disorder of the parathyroid glands. There are two types of hyperparathyroidism, primary and secondary. When the parathyroid glands produce too much hormone, hyperparathyroidism is the resulting condition. Most cases of hyperparathyroidism have no evident cause. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, depression, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or confusion. Increased calcium and phosphorous excretion may cause kidney stones. The main treatment of hyperparathyroidism is parathyroidectomy.
    • Hypercalcemia (Elevated Calcium Levels)
      • Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones, to name a few. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.
    • Cystinuria
Patient to Patient

The Agony of Kidney Stones

One Patient's Story

Learn about the signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment of kidney stones.By Angela Generoso
MedicineNet.com

Reviewed by William Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

It all started on a typical Maui fall day, with beautiful trade winds and sunny skies over the Kapalua Golf Course. Tom Stokes* and his wife Teresa* were about to start the ninth hole when Tom had to go to the bathroom.

"I was standing over the urinal and noticed blood in my urine," Stokes says.

Confused as to what he should do, Stokes decided to just finish playing golf without mentioning anything to his wife.

"Needless to say, I didn't have a good score from that point on," he says.

Back at the hotel he was still urinating blood, but decided it could wait until he returned home to California the following day.

"There were no other symptoms," he says. "No pain, no other indications."

Upon returning to California, Stokes went to see a urologist who asked him to have a kidney ureter bladder (KUB) x-ray done, which documented that he had a kidney stone.

Stokes' stone was so big it couldn't pass from the kidney to the ureter (the tube from the kidney to the bladder). The stone was approximately 8 mm, while the average inner diameter of the ureter is 4 mm.

*Names have been changed.


Top Searched Kidney Stones Terms:

symptoms, women, removal, calcium supplements, prevention, diet
Patient to Patient
Picture of a kidney stone

Kidney stone facts

  • A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney or urinary tract.
  • Nephrolithiasis is the medical term for kidney stones.
  • Symptoms of a kidney stone include flank pain (which can be quite severe) and blood in the urine (hematuria).
  • Kidney stones form when there is a decrease in urine volume and/or an excess of stone-forming substances in the urine.
  • Dehydration is a major risk factor for kidney stone formation.
  • People with certain medical conditions, such as gout, and those who take certain medications or supplements are at risk for kidney stones.
  • Dietary and hereditary factors are also related to stone formation.
  • Diagnosis of kidney stones is best accomplished using a CT scan.
  • Most kidney stones will pass through the ureter to the bladder on their own with time.
  • Treatment includes pain-control medications and, in some cases, medications to facilitate the passage of urine.
  • If needed, lithotripsy or surgical techniques may be used for stones which do not pass through the ureter to the bladder on their own.

What is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones are a common cause of blood in the urine (hematuria) and often severe pain in the abdomen, flank, or groin. Kidney stones are sometimes referred to as renal calculi.

The condition of having kidney stones is termed nephrolithiasis. Having stones at any location in the urinary tract is referred to as urolithiasis, and the term ureterolithiasis is used to refer to stones located in the ureters.

Kidney Stones
(Renal Stones, Nephrolithiasis)

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Pictures of kidney and kidney stone


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Kidney Stones

What is testicular pain (pain in the testicles)?

Testicular pain refers to pain or discomfort that is felt in one or both testicles. The pain may originate from the testicle itself, or it may be the result of other conditions affecting the scrotum, groin or abdomen. Though there are numerous medical conditions that can cause testicular pain, it is important to understand that a few of them constitute medical emergencies that require immediate medical attention in order to prevent the loss of testicular function.

What function do the testicles have?

The testicles form part of the male reproductive organs, with a primary function of producing sperm and the male hormone testosterone.

The testicles are contained within an external sac-like structure called the scrotum, which is located between the penis and the anus. Adult testicles are similar in size to large olives, and it is common for ...

Read the Testicular Pain (Pain in the Testicles) article �


Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=399&k=Womens_Health_General

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