The definition of kidney stones is hard, crystalline materials that have been created in one’s urinary tract or kidney. These are commonly the result of a decreased amount of urine, a high amount of stone-making substances including uric acid, calcium and amino acid cysteine, and being dehydrated. Kidney stones are additionally the result of the obstructed flow of urine; UTI; and medical conditions such as gouty arthritis, hypercalciuria, hyperparathyroidism, renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperoxaluria, diabetes, hypertension, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Often medications like diuretics, antacids with calcium, Crixivan, and HIV drugs lead to kidney stones. Some foods considered to aggravate the condition include those with high sodium, protein, sugar or vitamin D, and oxalate content.
Kidney stones can cause other problems. Not all kidney stones demonstrate symptoms, but there are still those that do so. Symptoms of kidney stones come out as a sudden inception of severe constricting pain in the low back or at the side, groin or abdomen sometimes, the pain surfaces more than one of the said areas.
Nausea and vomiting sometimes accompany the pain. There are instances when the kidney stones will have infection on them, thus, causing fever and chills. The many symptoms of kidney stones are varied and include testicular pain, a strong urge to urinate, a difficulty urinating, or penile pain.
A helical CT scan with the absence of contrast material is the most common procedure used for the diagnosis for kidney stones. Before the helical CT scan, doctors use an intravenous pyelogram but this test is not as reliable compare to the helical CT scan. Nonetheless, it is still better to avoid having kidney stones at the very beginning.
There are many methods on how to prevent kidney stones (http://www.mykidneystonestreatment.com/how-to-prevent-kidney-stones/) that are listed on in the Internet and they are easy and doable by everyone. The basic steps for kidney stone prevention just include drinking a lot of water, avoiding caffeinated beverages and changing one’s diet.
The most recommended step to kidney stone prevention is drinking plenty of water. Since kidney stones are most often caused as a result of dehydration, is it best to drink down at the very minimum 3 liters daily to avoid them. Drinking water can also help someone get rid of the substances in the body that forms to kidney stones.
Fluid passes at a faster speed after drinking caffeinated drinks that act as diuretics. Consequently, it does not provide the time necessary for the removal of materials which can lead to kidney stones. Caffeinated drinks should be limited to just one or two cups.
An important kidney stones prevention (http://www.mykidneystonestreatment.com/how-to-prevent-kidney-stones/) method relates to changing the diet. Some diet suggestions include increasing fiber by eating oat bran, beans, whole wheat bread, wheat cereals, cabbage, carrots; decreasing beef, pork and poultry; eating moderate to high calcium-rich food like dairy products; avoiding grapefruit juice; avoiding oxalate-rich food like dark green vegetables, nuts and chocolates; and avoiding salty food. Such preventative measures will help to ensure that you do not get kidney stones as time goes on.