A 1-cm kidney stone that was blasted using lithotripsy. (Photo: RJHall/Wikipedia-PD)
Perhaps you or someone you know has had a bout with kidney stones. The stories are often very similar when relating to pain caused by a kidney stone attack. It has often been compared with that of childbirth. Hospitals are filled each year with more than 300,000 kidney stone patients. Many people think this ailment is a new health problem that is related to our diet and way of life. The fact is that stones have been around for centuries. They have been found in the mummies of the Egyptians, which are thousands of years old.
What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones start to develop when the urine has minerals in it that clump and grow instead of diluting and excreting out with the urine. They come in a variety of shapes and have different substances in them. Calcium Oxalate is primarily the composed substance for the majority of kidney stones. Roughly about 75 percent are of this nature. Men generally develop them more than women do.
Once you experience having kidney stones, it is likely to happen again. Within five years, it is estimated that about one in five people will have another stone. There is no definite answer as to why some people get them while others do not.
What causes kidney stones
There are many causes of kidney stones. These include infection, chronic dehydration, diet, disorders of metabolism and even hereditary. Approximately 80 percent of stones are passed through the urine, so it helps for the sufferer to drink large amounts of water. Even though stones can be pretty small, they still cause a great deal of pain and sometimes, depending on its size (they can grow as large as a golf ball), medical treatment is required to remove the stone.
If you have to go to the emergency room because of a kidney stone and need help between paydays because of the loss of work hours, you can apply for a payday loan or an installment loan in no time.
New procedures available for kidney stones
In the past, a large kidney stone that could not pass required major surgery, which usually included a 12-inch cut as well as two weeks at the hospital for recovery and an additional two months of healing at home. Nowadays, there are less invasive surgery techniques, which often require only minimal surgery. This minimal surgery only needs a half-inch opening for a surgical instrument to fit through. A vibrating, ultrasonic probe that works similar to a jackhammer is used to shatter the stones that are then vacuumed out.
This article is for information purposes only and is not an attempt for diagnosing a medical treatment in any form. For medical advice, seek the help of a professional.
