There are people with a perfectly healthy body. It is difficult for them to understand less fortunate acquaintances who are wary of certain foods, types of recreation, referring to one or another ailment. Of course, not all diseases limit us, manifestations of not all diseases have obvious features. Kidney disease has symptoms noticeable to everyone around and hidden from view. But this does not get better. Therefore, those who are faced with a serious illness, begin to relate differently not only to their own body, but also with understanding to someone else's health.

The kidneys perform an important function: they remove not only excess liquid, but also decomposition products. However, the kidneys themselves are extremely sensitive to toxic substances, the cumulative effect with age makes them very susceptible to stressful situations. For example, the kidneys are acutely responsive to hypothermia, influenza, alcohol, harmful products. The state of the kidneys directly affects the body's ability to cope with diseases on its own, the quality of immunity depends on the kidneys. In addition, with traditional kidney diseases, traditional folk entertainment can become dangerous - a bath, swimming in cold water.

Why do stones form?

The existence of foreign bodies in the organs of the urinary system is one of the inconspicuous ones surrounding the development of renal diseases. However, he hides a lot of inconvenience for a sick person, introducing various restrictions. Stones are the result of excessive concentrations of minerals, as well as chemical compounds that react with each other, forming relatively stable organic formations. As a result of rare urinations, salts can form in the kidneys, from which stones form. The properties of the stones will depend on their composition. They can provide a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, damage the mucous walls of the organs in which they are located. After all, salt and stones can not only accumulate in the kidneys, but also travel through the ureters to the bladder. Such movements are very painful and sensitive, they carry a danger to the patient. The peculiarity of such an organic sediment is that it not only increases in mass, but also grows in size. Naturally, all these changes cause anxiety and discomfort to the patient.

   Factors contributing to the occurrence and growth of kidney stones may be as follows:

• Lack of water for a long period of time. This means that the amount of water consumed by humans may not be sufficient to remove salts from the body.
• Disturbed metabolism, as a result of which the salt balance is disturbed or the content of acid and alkaline bases in the urine.
• Excess minerals entering the body, including the use of hard water (from the tap).
• Rare urination. If you rarely go to the toilet, the fluid may stagnate in the organs of the urinary system. During this time, salt precipitate may well fall out, which then becomes kidney stones. In addition, if you do not have time to go to the toilet, then this circumstance may contribute to the development of infections in such an environment.
• Dysfunction of the urinary system due to an inflammatory or infectious process.

Symptoms of stone formation

The later the problem is discovered, the fewer treatment options the patient has. In advanced cases, it becomes possible to solve the problem only with surgical intervention, so treatment should begin at the first symptoms. Some signs may vary, since the nature of the manifestations depends on the location of the stones and salt, as well as their size, quantity:

   What signs may indicate urolithiasis?

The presence of foreign education in the kidneys can be felt during shaking, walking on a hard surface or in shoes with thin soles. This increases the vibration, which is "given" to the kidneys. There is a feeling of discomfort and heaviness in the lumbar region.

Occurrence of renal colic when salts and other organic formations move along the ureters. The symptom is somewhat razditsya, depending on the type of formations and location. For example, characteristic shingles or local blunt pain  lower back on both sides or on any particular side. These painful colic are accompanied by fever, chills, and vomiting and urging to it.

   If the stones are transferred from the kidneys to the ureters:

The pain is localized in the groin; Often there is a desire to go "small."

   If the stones hit the bladder,   they can cause inflammation and irritation of the mucous membranes. You can understand this by the results of urine tests.

There will also be such signs:

Frequent urination, which is accompanied by pain;

Blood in the urine with severe mucosal damage.

Stone types

There are several options for the formation of stones and salts in the organs of the urinary system. They differ in the type of metabolic or acid-base balance, as a result of which they are formed in the kidneys. There are several options for the formation of stones and salts in the organs of the urinary system. They differ in the type of metabolic or acid-base balance, as a result of which they are formed in the kidneys:

• Uratny stones (also called urates) are caused by high acidity, they can dissolve when the acid balance changes towards alkali (above pH 6.2). Uratny stones are hard formations of ocher hue. The use of fatty meat and products from it, such as strong soups and rich broths, pickled, smoked, fried foods, contributes to the formation of urate stones. Dark spirits (kvass, black tea and coffee) will also be on the black list.
• Oscalates or oxalate stones are most common - they are found in 85% of people. Increased acidity (if the balance varies in the range of pH 5.3-5.7) is favorable for their occurrence, an excess of ascorbic acid in the human diet may be a prerequisite for this. With such a violation, people usually consume a lot of vitamins and vegetables and fruits with a high content of acids (tomatoes, citrus fruits, beets and carrots). With oxalate stones pain symptoms especially strong, which is connected with the shape of these stones (pointed formations of a dirty yellow hue).
• Phosphate stones are formed in an alkaline medium with an excessive content of the element of the same name, as well as calcium. This feature is typical for vegetarians. Phosphates have a light gray color, do not have a solid form. Carbonates are also soft, but almost whitish. Both subspecies of salts are formed in an alkaline medium, which is reflected in their characteristics. Alkali does not contribute to crystallization, and the shape of such stones is smooth and without a specific shape. Such stones are easily removed during the oxidation of urine. You can achieve a positive result by using acidic mineral waters, as well as drinks (decoctions, juices and fruit drinks) from acidic berries, which include lingonberries and cranberries. A specific flaky sediment in the urine may indicate the formation of phosphate stones.
• Other formations rarely form in the urinary fluid due to their lower content in the diet or free form in the kidneys. The system is found much less frequently. This, for example, cystine, protein, cholesterol, xanthine stones.

Kidney treatment

The decision of the attending physician regarding the treatment strategy depends on the different characteristics and indicators of the patient’s disease. It is taken into account age group, state of health, stage and type of stone formation, location of stones. In this case, the treatment of stones is as follows:

• Drug therapy. It will be effective at the onset of the disease to correct the acid-base balance.
• Phytotherapy is used both for detecting stones and for their prevention in diseases of the digestive and urinary systems.
• Surgical and minimally invasive treatment. This conditionally can be attributed, and surgical methods, and relatively new approaches - ultrasound procedures and laser crushing. Thanks to their approach, they allow to reduce the size of the stones and facilitate their natural elimination. When this is not possible due to the nature of the stones or their size, an operational expedition is required.
• Diet. In any case, the formation of stones occurs as a result of impaired metabolism and metabolic characteristics. Therefore, for effective treatment a person needs to change the diet. At the same time, products that cause salt accumulation are prohibited, and dishes that help to change the acidity of the environment are allowed.

Oxalate stones treatment

Since they often arise from an excess of oxalic acid in the patient's urine, an appropriate adjustment of the diet is made.

Acidic fruits (apples, pears), magnesium-rich fruits and vegetables (dried fruits, grapes, bananas), and cereals are suitable for eating.

For the treatment of oxalate stones, you can apply a watermelon diet in the form of 2 fasting days per week or eat watermelon daily for 2 weeks.

Young shoots of grapes will also help in the treatment of oxalates. To prepare a daily dose, take 1 teaspoon of dry mixture from the shoots (branches, whiskers), add boiling water (1 cup) and cook for another 3 minutes over low heat. Leave to insist, strain before use. Drink liquid, divided into 4 doses.

Phosphate treatment

Treatment of phosphate stones occurs due to changes in the acidity of the medium. The use of meat and fish products and by-products, the use of sour berries and vegetables (cranberries and lingonberries, beets, carrots) contribute to positive changes. Dairy products can also increase alkalinity, so instead of sour cream dressings and mayonnaise, use vegetable oils. In the use of flour you can not limit yourself. The main thing is not to forget the measure. Drink mineral water (Borjomi, Essentuki, for example).

Beware need greens, vegetables that increase the alkaline environment.

Traditional medicine proposes to use dandelion roots, St. John's wort, highlander bird, violet, and larkspur for the treatment of phosphate stones. On a tablespoon of dry collection is taken 0.2 liters of water. Pour the mixture with boiling water and leave for a while. Drink three times 1/3 cup a day.

You can use infusions of rose hips, grapes, knotweed or barberry (both separately and in the complex). Drink this infusion should be for a long time (about a month), if possible, drinking more than 1 cup of infusion per day

Treatment of carbonate stones

Also suggests an increase in the diet of meat products and fish protein. Under the ban, milk and dairy products, including cottage cheese, cheeses, ryazhenka, etc. The rest of the diet is identical to the diet with phosphate stones.

Treatment of urate stones

Urats are characteristic of meat eaters, therefore, their diet is almost completely removed meat. Leave only the minimum amount of animal protein in the form of dietary or lean poultry meat, fish in minimal quantities (2-3 times a week). Dark and heavy meat, red fish is completely excluded, as well as derivatives of them - smoked meat, sausages, semi-finished products, giblets and other by-products. Forbidden and heavy squirrels of mushrooms, as well as eggs, dark and strong drinks - coffee, cocoa, strong tea, as well as chocolate, vegetable oil

It is useful to increase the dishes from fresh and processed vegetables and fruits, especially fibrous, sour and containing a large proportion of juice (turnip, pumpkin, cucumbers, watermelons and melons, currants, grapes, strawberries). Useful citrus, wild rose, cereals. The use of alkaline mineral waters is recommended.

In the second half of summer, you can arrange a watermelon diet, which helps cleanse the body of toxins and reduce the number and size of stones. Within two days you need to eat 3 kg of watermelon, seizing it with black bread. You can repeat the fasting days until the end of the watermelon season. It is better to eat watermelon in the second half of the day, since the highest efficiency of the urinary system is reached from 5 to 7 o'clock in the afternoon.

Uncleaned oat grains can also help: rinse in running water, pour boiling water over and insist overnight, covering the container with a warm blanket. You can use a thermos. Soaked grain pass through a sieve, thus separating from the husk. Mashed mass used as a breakfast, not seasoning with spices and seasonings.

Prevention of kidney stones

To reduce the likelihood of stones can be, following these rules:

Drink at least 2 liters of water per day, if there is a predisposition, then increase the dose to 2.5 liters of fluid per day. The liquid that we use in dishes (broths, tea, etc.) is not enough for the qualitative elimination of salts from the body and for maintaining an alkaline balance. Refuse food with a high salt content - pickled, smoked, fatty and fried foods are poorly absorbed by the stomach and difficult to break up and remove. The simpler the dishes, the easier it is for the body to cope with them. Be moderate in the use of any food. Protect the urogenital system from diseases. At the first symptoms, contact your doctor for treatment, and also make sure that some of the diseases do not become chronic. This weakens the immune system and increases the load on the kidneys. When in a risk group, regularly take diuretic fees, which are the best prevention of kidney disease.

The kidneys are tender and sensitive to what we eat. Despite his long patience with the wrong diet, the health of the kidneys is not unlimited. More and more young people are beginning to suffer from the kidneys, although earlier older people have complained about such diseases. This happens because of the intense rhythm of life, when people literally live on the run, not having time to drink water, or simply eat. This rhythm of life promotes the use of snacks and fast food, which quickly clogs the body with salts. So take care of the kidneys today: drink a glass of water right now. And do not eat all these fast foods, better prepare a simple dinner with the household.

Be healthy and happy!

Urolithiasis is a disease in which one or more stones form in the kidneys or in the urinary tract. Kidney stones are formed from salts that small quantities  contained in human urine. Stones can be of different sizes and shapes: ranging from small grains of sand to large (more than 5 cm in diameter) formations. In terms of their composition, kidney stones are divided into phosphates, urates, oxalates, magnesium, protein and mixed chemical composition. Phosphates, urates and oxalates are most common.

Phosphates are composed of calcium phosphate salts and have a white or white-gray color. Their formation is due to high content  alkali in the urine or in the presence of infection in the urinary tract, the surface is smooth. Phosphates have a low density and break easily.

Urates are composed of uric acid salts. The color of such stones is red or yellow, the surface is smooth, the density is high.

Oxalates are dominated by potassium gums of oxalic acid. The surface of such stones has a rough structure, the color is blackish-brown, they are very dense. They are formed during the acid reaction of urine.

The frequency of detection of this disease is about 500 people for every 100 thousand inhabitants. The age at which kidney stones are most often found is from 20 to 50 years.

Kidney stones symptoms

The formation of kidney stones is asymptomatic for many years. Usually, a person learns that he has urolithiasis only when stones, moving along the urinary tract, cause unbearable pain. Therefore, the main symptom of kidney stones is acute pain  in the back, then the pain spreads in groin area or in the lower abdomen and lasts until the stone comes out through the ureter. Such an attack of pain is often accompanied by vomiting.

When stones move along the ureter, there are frequent and strong urge to urinate, as well as a burning sensation during urination, chills and fever (temperature rise up to 38-40 degrees). The result of the formation of kidney stones is trauma to the ureter and the appearance of blood in the urine or turbidity of the urine.

In order to relieve the symptoms of renal colic, you need to take antispasmodics and painkillers. In the event that the drugs did not work or blood appeared in the urine, it is necessary to go to the hospital.

Causes of kidney stones

Most common causes  the occurrence of kidney stones - metabolic disorders and genetic predisposition. When a metabolic disorder (gout or hyperparateriosis) in the blood may increase the content of calcium or uric acid. There is no definitive answer to the question “why stones form in the kidneys”.

Predisposing factors and causes of kidney stones:

1) high salt content in drinking water;

2) the abuse of spicy, sour, fried and salty foods;

3) lack of fluid in the body (because of which the urine is concentrated, and the salts dissolved in it crystallize);

4) a hot climate, as a result of which the body is often dehydrated, which causes stone formation;

5) renal dysfunction (kidney disease, trauma), as a result of which the outflow of urine is disturbed in the kidneys, it stagnates, and salt crystals turn into stones;

6) chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and organs genitourinary system  (peptic ulcer, gastritis, pyelonephritis, prostate adenoma, prostatitis, cystitis);

7) bone diseases (such as osteomyelitis and osteoporosis), as well as bone injuries;

8) avitaminosis or hypervitaminosis (a deficiency of vitamin A and an excess of vitamin D and C leads to the formation of stones);

9) alcohol abuse, which poisons the entire body;

10) frequent use of some drugssuch as diuretics, sulfonamides, ascorbic acid, etc.

Complications of urolithiasis

Dangerous complications of urolithiasis are:

• violation of urine outflow due to blockage of urinary tract stones;
• infection in the kidney or urinary tract;
• development of renal failure.

Even small stones formed in the kidneys can cause serious problems. Small stones, starting to move along the urinary ducts, easily plug them, which leads to impaired outflow of urine from the kidneys and very strong renal colic.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you have symptoms of urolithiasis, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will, first of all, prescribe pain medications, prescribe an ultrasound of the kidneys and give directions for urine and blood tests, and analyze the stones that have come out of the kidneys. Metabolic disorders are very individual, so before treating urolithiasis, you should find out where the kidney stones come from in each case and try to correct the metabolism.

In the diagnosis of the disease, attention is paid to such features: the duration and nature of the pain (one-sided, bilateral), the presence of hematuria, the presence of concomitant diseases, previous treatment methods.

When diagnosing urolithiasis can be produced:

• x-ray examination;
• cT scan;
• ultrasound procedure.

Treatment of urolithiasis

Treatment for urolithiasis includes a diet that depends on the results of a study of the composition of stones that left kidney, and medicines  - for the early removal of stones from the kidneys.

If, when analyzing stones released from the kidneys, they contain a large amount of phosphates, then it is recommended to eat boiled meat and fish, cereals, butter and foods rich in vitamin C in food. When detecting oxalate, the patient can eat pasta, sweets, pasta, bread, onions, beets, carrots and cabbage. With the formation of urates in the kidneys, the patient is recommended to use dairy products, vegetables, fruits, juices, berries, bread, vegetable soups.

Products that are not recommended for use by people suffering from renal colic or undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones: canned fish and meat, sausages, beans, chocolate, coffee, radish, parsley, currants, lemons, gooseberries. You also need to reduce the consumption of dairy products and cheeses. When urolithiasis should refrain from the use of soda water and alcohol. Broth hips, on the contrary, helps to improve the work of the kidneys and the removal of stones from them. The use of cranberries and cranberry juice also has a beneficial effect on the condition of the kidneys in urolithiasis.

Drug treatment is the use of antispasmodics, drugs for dissolving stones, antibacterial drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, herbal preparations.

If the stone grows in size, begins to block the urinary tract, provokes an infection of the urinary tract or bleeding, then surgery may be necessary.

Open abdominal surgery is one of the most common methods for removing kidney stones in the past. This operation is very traumatic and can cause many negative consequences up to a lethal outcome.

Shock-wave lithotripsy is also used to treat urolithiasis. Guidance waves on the stone is carried out under ultrasound or radiological control. This method has shown itself well in the destruction of stones 1.5-2.5 cm in size in the kidneys, and stones up to 1.5 in the ureter.

Large stones from the ureter are relegated to the bladder and removed endoscopically. If the stone is in the kidney, the surgeon removes it with an endoscope through the urethra.

Prevention of urolithiasis

Urolithiasis is a chronic disease, so the probability of re-formation of stones is very high. If urolithiasis is found, it is best to stop drinking alcohol. To prevent the formation of kidney stones, it is necessary to consume daily a sufficient amount of liquid, timely and completely cure any diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, use high-quality drinking water.

Urolithiasis, also called urolithiasis, is considered the most popular disease of the urinary tract and kidneys.

As a result of this disease, stones of various volume and structure are formed, both in one and in two kidneys at once. As the doctors say, stones in one third of all cases appear simultaneously in both kidneys.

Nephrolithiasis is relevant at any age, but at childhood  kidney stones are less common. Female sex is less prone to illness than men, but women more often have calculi that are complex in shape and structure.

The appearance of stones is due to the precipitation and crystallization of salts, and the stones can be of different nature and structure, differ in forms. The volume of stones ranges from 2 millimeters (sand) to several centimeters.

By volume, the stones are round, angular and flat, and also occur in the form of corals, the most complex and dangerous formations. These stones fill the entire cup and pelvis of the kidney, which is fraught with serious consequences. Concretions can be single or multiple.

Causes of kidney stones

In developed countries, the main cause of the disease is hypodynamia, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, addiction to roast, spicy food, excessive consumption of meat.

Concretions do not appear instantly, they grow months and years. A favorable condition for the growth of stones is an increased concentration of protein and salts in the urine, and this is always associated with impaired renal system.

At the very beginning there are concrements of small volumes (of protein origin), which become the framework where stones form. In the case when the pebbles are very small, they go out on their own with a stream of urine. When the calculus is fixed in the kidney, subsequently new salt deposits are attached to it. The stone subsequently reaches a large volume (up to several centimeters).

Types of kidney stones:

• oxalate and calcium;
• phosphate;
• urate (based on uric acid);
• cystine (protein based);
• calculi consisting of magnesium;
• mixed

Causes of kidney stones:

• chronic infectious diseases of the kidneys (, glomerulonephritis);
• hereditary factor;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• the abuse of protein foods - meat and fish;
• endocrine disorders, resulting in impaired calcium metabolism;
• diseases of the digestive system;
• lack of sunlight;
• geographical factor. In hot zones, sweating increases and the concentration of salts in urine and blood increases;
• urinary tract defects inborn (abnormal structure of the kidneys and ureter);
• insufficient urine outflow due to or other diseases;

Symptoms of kidney stones in women and men

In rare cases, the patient does not feel the symptoms, and learns about the existence of stones only when examining ultrasound or radiography.

Symptoms of urolithiasis in men and women have similar symptoms:

1. 1) Sharp pain  in the back, as well as the side after exercise, long walking, drinking water;
2. 2) Problems with normal urination. Urinary retention or frequent urination appears;
3. 3) Occurrence of blood in the urine. This can be a sign not only of kidney stones, but also of diseases such as swelling. bladder  or kidney;
4. 4) Urolithiasis often appears together with an inflammatory process in the kidneys, a symptom of which is fever, chills, dull back pain. Urine analysis indicates the presence of leukocytes.

At the slightest discomfort, consultation with a urologist is required to prevent complications.

Treatment of kidney stones

The patient must pass general analysis  urine and blood, bacteria culture, biochemical analysis of blood. Ultrasound and radiography are being performed. To establish the nature of kidney stones, stone structure research, urography, and radioisotope diagnostics are conducted.

The correct diagnosis gives a chance to choose an adequate treatment of kidney stones, which is divided into two types - conservative and surgical. In many ways, the treatment tactics depend on the size and structure of the stone, the age and state of health of the patient. If the stone in the kidney does not have sharp corners, can be crushed, then choose conservative treatmentincluding special pills  breaking stones, antibiotics, antispasmodics. Along with medications, warm baths, diathermy, electrical procedures are prescribed.

To relieve the process of crushing and exiting the stone, blockade with the help of analgesics and drugs that reduce the tension of the muscular wall are carried out. Kidney stones less than 5 mm in size are successfully eliminated from the body. As tablets for crushing stones use kanefron, urolesan, phytolysin, uroston, avisan.

Treatment options:

• ultrasonic or laser stone crushing;
• renal lithotripsy;
• surgery - percutaneous nephrolithotripsy is used for stone sizes greater than 1 cm.

How to treat kidney stones folk remedies  - This is a grass floor - fell, field horsetail, bearberry, which help to effectively reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation in the kidneys and remove sand and stones.

Complications

Often the patient does not feel the signs of the disease if one kidney is blocked and the other copes with its functions. Then an abscess in the diseased kidney is possible and surgery to remove it is inevitable.

Prevention of kidney stones

In summer, it is recommended to use melons and gourds, birch sap, fruit. In winter, it is necessary to use broth hips, dried fruit, viburnum. Healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and compliance drinking regime  will help to resist the disease. Be always healthy!

Which doctor to contact for treatment?

The disease, which is based on the formation of stones in the renal pelvis is a kidney stone disease. In humans, such stones can appear at any age, but 70–75% of patients are people aged from 21 to 40 years. In men, kidney disease is more common.

  What are the causes of kidney stones?

Stones form mainly in the right kidney, less often in the left, and only in 10–15% of cases in both organs. They can have the most bizarre shape, sizes from a few millimeters to 10–12 cm, and weight - up to 2 kg or more. Especially large sizes are different coral stones. In about half of the patients, kidney stones are single. But sometimes during operations surgeons found dozens, hundreds and even thousands of stones in the kidneys. Stones can be located in the renal pelvis and cups, and in the ureter, where they fall from the kidneys.

Today, there are many different theories about the causes of kidney stones. Conventionally, they can be divided into two large groups, taking into account the factors (external and internal) that led to the disease. The external factors of kidney disease include lifestyle, climate, water and food. To the inner ones, the structural features of the urinary tract, traumas suffered by a person, various metabolic disorders, hormones and vitamin balance, as well as prolonged bedtime associated with a serious illness.

Of the external factors of great importance is the place of residence. Those people who live in the south or beyond the Arctic Circle are much more likely to get sick with kidney stones. This is due to a lack of vitamin D, which is involved in phosphorus-calcium metabolism and is contained in egg yolk, butter  and liver. This vitamin is synthesized by the body under the action of ultraviolet rays. A lack of sun in the north and an excess of it in the south can lead to a lack or excess of vitamin D in the body, which is equally harmful and can cause illness.

An important role is played by the climatic factor. Under conditions when the air temperature exceeds 30 ° C and the body loses a lot of fluid, an increase in salt concentration occurs in the urine. In addition, people living in a hot climate, are forced to replenish excreted fluid and drink more. In this case, the hardness of drinking water, which is determined by the content of calcium salts, plays a significant role in the formation of kidney stones.

A great influence on the formation and growth of stones has a diet. Irregular food intake, its monotony, eating a dry meal contribute to the release of a large amount of salt, leading to the formation of stones. With an excess in the diet of meat and fatty foods, canned food and smoked foods, uric acid salts arise in the body - urates; monotonous dairy and vegetable diet causes the accumulation of alkaline phosphate salts and leads to the formation of phosphate stones. Over-enthusiasm for spices, spicy dishes, pickles and pickles causes precipitation of oxalic acid salts and oxalates.

Stones are often formed during functional disorders of the central nervous system. The patient has a disturbed metabolism and changes in water-salt metabolism. This creates conditions for the occurrence of urinary diathesis, and subsequently leads to urolithiasis. Urinary diathesis is a profuse loss of salt crystals in the form of sand, which impedes the flow of urine and causes an attack of renal colic.

Among the internal factors affecting the formation of kidney stones, the state of the endocrine system is of great importance. The enhanced work of the parathyroid glands involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism leads to an increase in the calcium content in the blood and urine and the precipitation of calcium phosphate crystals in the urine.

Scientists have found that urine contains so-called protective colloids that are able to keep salts in solution. When these substances, for whatever reason, turn out to be low, the equilibrium is disturbed and salts begin to precipitate.

If the adrenal glands work incorrectly, nitrogenous substances accumulate in the body. In addition, a violation of the function of the sex glands also has a certain effect on stone formation. Diseases of the liver, stomach and intestines also contribute to the formation of stones.

Trauma can force the victim to stay in bed for a long time, and this is fraught with the appearance of kidney stones. With a sedentary lifestyle, a person's metabolism slows down so much that all conditions are created for enhanced formation and precipitation of salts in the urine. This in itself is not dangerous, since it is a normal physiological process. But if gluing of salt crystals begins, this is the beginning of the disease. Adhesive substances most often are contained in urine protein and urinary pigments.

The degree of crystallization is also influenced by the acid-base state of urine. In a healthy person, her reaction should be slightly acidic, but if it becomes alkaline, then phosphates and carbonates can begin to form in the urine. In addition, urates and oxalates fall out more easily in acid urine.

All stones formed in the kidneys are divided into phosphate, oxalate, uric and mixed.

  Types of kidney stones

  Phosphate stones  - These are soft formations of white or grayish color with a smooth or slightly rough surface. They occur in alkaline urine and are composed of calcium phosphate salts. Such stones grow rapidly, often reaching large sizes. The urine of patients containing phosphate salts resembles milk in appearance.

  Oxalic stones  have a dark gray or dark brown, almost black color and an uneven surface with a lot of thorns. They are formed slowly from the calcium salts of oxalic acid in the acid or neutral reaction of urine.

  Urats  they are dense small stones of light yellow or brown-red color with a smooth surface. They arise mainly from uric acid salts in the acid or neutral reaction of urine.

Sometimes in the kidneys there are protein, cystine, cholesterol and carbonate stones. But most often stones of mixed composition are formed, having a layered appearance on the cut (as they consist of different salts).

Treatment of kidney stones depends on how long the patient develops this condition, the size of the stones and the severity of the symptoms. There are enough methods to be able to choose the most suitable in your particular case and, of course, this should be done in conjunction with a doctor, having passed all the necessary tests and examinations.

The method "wait until the problem is resolved by itself"

Small stones of round shape are able to leave the kidneys themselves. It usually takes from 4 to 6 weeks. The main thing that the stone was small enough and did not block the urinary tract. If the formations do not have sharp protrusions, as in uric acid calculi, then the process is accompanied by rather tolerable pain. The main self-help with kidney stones is to drink enough water, and if you feel discomfort from their passage, take antispasmodic and painkillers.

Drug treatment

How to treat kidney stones with the help of drugs that dissolve the calculi can be found.

Other areas of therapy:

• elimination of an attack of renal colic;
• facilitating the allocation of small stones;
• fight against relapses.

One aspect of the treatment of kidney stones is to relieve an attack of renal colic.

At home, relieve pain during the discharge of sand and larger formations can be a warm bath or a heating pad along the ureter. Medicamentally, an attack of renal colic is relieved by an injection of Aropin or Platyphillin's antispasmodics, pain syndrome  eliminate Promedol, Morphine, Pantopol.

Also effective use of procaine blockade. In men, it is carried out by injecting Novocain solution into the thickness of the spermatic cord, and in women into the round ligament of the uterus. And also relax the ureter by Novocainic blockade of the lumbar region.

The expulsion of stones contribute essential oils, especially derivatives of terpenes. Most often used drugs Olimetin, Enatin. Their action is due to the analgesic, antispasmodic and stimulating effects on the urinary tract. In addition to stimulating urodynamics, these drugs increase the content of protective colloids in the urine, which prevents new stone formation.

Physical methods

In the case when the stones are quite large and it is impossible to ensure their dissolution and spontaneous release, they are treated with the help of various devices and tools.

There are different localized stones. The first is in the internal structures of the kidney and the second is in the ureter.

Treatment of ureteral stones

Concrements from the ureter try to withdraw using a ureteral catheter. There are several types of boats and techniques for their use.

• A catheter is passed past the stone and above it is placed vaseline oil or glycerin. This contributes to the gliding of calculus and increases the motility of the ureter. Often when a catheter is pulled out, a stone easily comes out with it.
• The ureter try to expand below the calculus. To do this, use a catheter with an inflated balloon system Durmashkina, which creates the necessary clearance in the ureter.
• The stone is captured by a Zeiss loop catheter and removed from the ureter.

  The ureteral stone can be removed using special loop-like catheters.

However, due to the delicate structure of the ureters, these procedures may result in rupture or other damage. Therefore, such methods extract only small formations. Stones remaining in place in the lumen of the ureter for six months - a year that cannot be cured with water load or catheterization, require surgery.

Kidney stone

The existing methods for removing stones from the kidneys can be arranged in the following order of preference:

• remote lithotripsy (shock-wave);
• contact endoscopic lithotripsy (laser, compressed air or ultrasound);
• transurethral removal;
• percutaneous nephrolithotomy or nephrolithotripsy;
• laparoscopic removal;
• open body surgery.

Remote shock wave lithotripsy

Shock wave lithotripsy is a non-surgical technique that is used to treat kidney stones and the ureter. The application of the shock wave is monitored by x-rays or ultrasound. The method is effective for crushing formations not larger than 2 cm in size. Cystine stones, some types of oxalate and calcium phosphate are also poorly affected by it.

The use of shock-wave lithotripsy is contraindicated in pregnant women, patients with bleeding disorders, in the presence of a permanent pacemaker. Also prevent effective treatment  can pathological obesity, which makes it impossible to pass a shock wave.

Description of the procedure

The patient is placed in a bathroom with water or a pillow filled with water, placed on the stomach or on the lumbar side.

Before crushing, local anesthesia or sedatives can be taken so that the patient can safely transfer the procedure, which lasts up to an hour.

  The procedure of remote lithotripsy is carried out under the control of ultrasound

The impact on the stones occurs by focusing on them an acoustic wave, which spreads well in a liquid medium and does not damage the tissues of the body.

Through the bladder in the ureter is installed stent - dilator, which supports the lumen open. This is necessary to release crushed parts and prevent blockage of the ureter.

  Stent - internal frame that prevents the closure of the ureter

After the procedure, the patient will be asked to drink plenty of fluids, and filter the urine through the filter in order to collect the calculus for analysis.

Although this method is considered very safe, it can still cause some side effects. For example, the appearance of blood in the urine within a few days after the procedure. Also possible pain sensations  and spasms from passing stone fragments through the ureter.

The method is effective in 50-70% of cases, if the formations are in the kidneys and have small sizes. The method is not quite suitable for crushing stones in the ureters, since the shock wave is extinguished by vertebrae or pelvic bones surrounding the ureter. To this end, it is better to choose another way. For example, ureteroscopy.

Contact laser lithotripsy

Laser removal of kidney stones was tested in the late nineties. But then the device was very bulky and expensive. To date, contact laser removal of kidney stones is carried out using a very thin beam - with a diameter of horsehair, and the operation is called transurethral laser ureterolithotripsy.

  The laser acts directly on the calculus inside the kidney or ureter.

The operation takes about an hour and is performed under general anesthesia. First, the attending physician will guide the flexible string to the stone along the urinary tract. Then insert the ureteroscope with a camera and a thin laser light guide at the end. Now, under visual control, the doctor begins to destroy the stones with a laser, and the breakaway pieces are absorbed by the apparatus.

After the operation, the expander is also installed in the ureter for the natural release of dust and sand remaining after crushing.

The procedure carries a small risk of bleeding, since in 1-2% of patients damage to the ureter mucosa is possible.

The recovery period is usually a day or two. Unfortunately, every third patient may re-establish calculus within ten years. To prevent this, after surgery, be sure to follow a diet and drinking regime.

The main indications for laser destruction are:

• the large size of the formations that are not amenable to shock wave therapy;
• the stones are in the ureter.

The disadvantages of the method include the need for general anesthesia and the likelihood of ureteral puncturing (less than 1%) or the development of an infectious process.

Contraindications to this operation:

• pregnancy;
• infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract or its physical damage;
• renal bleeding;
• narrowing of the ureter on a large segment.

Ureteroscopy (transurethral clearance)

Ureteroscopy is used preferably for treating stones located in the ureter. It consists in passing a very thin telescope (ureteroscope) through the bladder, to the ureter and kidney. Rigid telescopes are applicable in the lower part of the ureter near the bladder. Flexible telescopes are used for treatment in the upper part of the ureters and kidneys.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia for the comfort and safety of the patient. The ureteroscope allows the urologist to see the stone without making an incision. And the manipulator combined with the telescope captures it and leads it outside. If the education is large enough to remove it entirely, then it must first be broken down using a laser or other methods.

A temporary stent is also installed to ensure the unobstructed discharge of sand and parts of the stone. The period of wearing the stent should not exceed 4-10 days, otherwise there is a risk of infection and loss of kidney function.

This type of treatment is the method of choice in the presence of large aggregates greater than 2 cm; coral stones; abnormal structure of the urinary tract; obesity in a patient.

  With the help of a nephroscope, you can see, capture and remove large stones from the kidney.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. Through an incision in the skin in the lumbar region under x-ray control, a conductor is inserted, and then a special endoscopic device is installed over it - a nephroscope. By and large, it is a hard or soft tube with a lighting and video system. The internal channel of the nephroscope can be inserted into the body cavity of the lithotripter — the apparatus itself, which produces the removal of kidney stones with ultrasound, compressed air, or a laser. Visually finding a kidney stone, the doctor destroys it with a lithotripter, and the fragments are removed outside. In various clinical situations it may be necessary to install the nephrostoma or. These devices provide a normal flow of urine in the first time after surgery.

Of the complications of attention, the infectious process deserves attention (it is warned by taking antibiotics on the eve of the operation), possible mechanical damage  vessels and tissues. As with any crushing method, remnants of stone fragments are possible.

Contraindications are pregnancy and blood clotting, and in other cases, percutaneous nephrolithotripsy is considered the gold standard of treatment.

Laparoscopic pyelolithotomy

The operation to remove kidney stones is carried out through small incisions in which the video system and manipulators (trocars) are installed. The procedure requires cutting the parenchyma of the kidney and the pelvis, which after the removal of the stone is sutured. If necessary, a pelvis or ureteral stent is installed. A calculus is expelled through the trocar openings. The recovery period is longer than that of non-invasive methods - up to 4 days. But compared with surgery on an open organ, laparoscopy is less traumatic.

Laparoscopically remove stones from the kidneys in such cases:

• abnormalities of the urinary system do not allow the use of endoscopic methods;
• severe obesity.

  After laparoscopy, the patient has only three small punctures on the skin.

Like all methods of removing kidney stones, laparoscopy is contraindicated. infection, impaired blood clotting, acute inflammatory process of the urogenital system. As well as the presence of scarring from previous operations, which can prevent the installation of equipment in the right place in the abdominal cavity.

Surgical stone removal

Surgery to remove kidney stones on an open organ is shown only in some cases. Since it involves a section of the kidney parenchyma, this negatively affects its condition and functionality. So, we cannot do without the operation if:

• The pain is too strong for the patient to wait until it passes.
• The stone causes acute blockage of the pelvis. Anuria and urosepsis develop.
• Concrements cause recurrence of urinary infection. Providing stagnation of urine, create conditions for chronic pyelonephritis and the development of renal failure.
• The stone affects the function of the kidneys, triggers a change in the parenchyma.

The following cases are not subject to surgery:

• Stones in the renal cup. They have little effect on the functionality of the kidney, often prone to relapse, but can also spontaneously be allocated first to the pelvis, and then to the ureter.
• Patients with a tendency to frequent stones. They rationally operate only large stones, incapable of independent discharge.
• Coral stones in one kidney. They are immobile, fill the pelvis and, in principle, the kidney remains relatively functional.

  The difference between tissue damage in traditional and laparoscopic operations

Principles of surgical treatment of stones

• With a combination of formations in the cups and the pelvis, in the first place, the stone of the pelvis is removed.
• Multiple stones in cups causing severe pain  delete is not rational. It will be about removing the kidney.
• With the defeat of both kidneys operations are carried out in two stages. First, stones are removed from the less affected organ, and then, when it is restored, from the more affected one.
• The presence of stones in a single kidney and its ureter is an immediate indication for surgery.

It should be remembered that even after successfully treating kidney stones, a relapse may occur over time. To prevent it, you should follow a diet with adequate water load, regularly take a urine test and undergo an ultrasound examination or a X-ray of the kidneys.