subject: Stones Medication [print this page] Stones Medication Stones Medication
Our body has mechanism to eject out harmful or unnecessary chemicals out of the body through urinary system. These chemicals are filtered to urine in kidney. A malfunction in kidney may impair it from the ability to filter these waste chemicals. These chemicals when not urinated out of the body keeps accumulating in the kidney. This then takes the form of crystals that harden and forms stones in kidney.
Types of stones:
Calcium stones
Uric acid stones
Struvite stones
Cystine stones
Calcium stones are common in people with high intake of calcium in diet. The excessive calcium combines with oxalate and phosphates in the body and forms calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate dissolves in uric acid present in the urine however the oxalates do not and take up the form of stones later. Uric acid stones are formed due to accumulation of uric acid on the inner walls of kidney when the concentration of uric acid is high in urine. Struvite stones are caused due to infection by bacteria in kidney. These bacteria convert urea in urine into ammonium. This ammonium combines with phosphate and magnesium and forms stones. Cystic stones are prominently due to inheritance. These types of stones are created when the genes in the body do not let the amino acids to absorb properly which consequently leads to cystine stones.
Causes and Symptoms
The exact cause of stones is not known however it is believed that the symptoms are closely related to age, sex, diet, hereditary, urinary tract infections, water deficiency, bowel and endocrine disturbances, renal disorders, gout, arthritis, excess of vitamin C and D, calcium rich diet or medications and alcohol consumption.
Stones are considered the most painful disorders. The pain is shooting in nature and occurs in lower abdomen or groin region. It may induce vomiting and nausea. The patient feels like urinating more than often, burning sensation while urinating and have strong pungent smell. It may also show symptoms like fever, shivering or in extreme cases blood or puss in urine.
Test and Diagnosis
The various tests that can be performed to ascertain the presence of stone are urine test, blood test, Kidney-Ureter-Bladder (KUB) test, Intravenous pyelogram (IVP), CT scan, X-Ray and Ultrasound
Treatment and Precautions
While choosing the test the doctor will consider the size of stone, passage of sample of stone in urine, its frequency and extent, pain, Urinary Tract infection and damage to kidney tissues if any. Your doctor may choose one or more of the treatment methodology
Medicinal
Surgical
Life style changes
As the name suggests medicinal treatment is done by intervention of medicines. Thiazides and phosphates are recommended for calcium stones. Acetohydroamic Acid (AHA) and antibiotics are used in combination to treat struvite stones. For uric stones allopurinol is the most popular drug. Thiola is used extensively to treat cystine stones.
Surgical methods of treatment of stones include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL), Ureteroscopic Stone Removal and open surgery.
The safest of all methods is by bringing changes in the life style of patients. This not only help cure the stones faster but if inculcated in healthy person, his chances of contracting stones are greatly reduced. Few of the habits are drinking at least 2 liters of water a day, avoiding food that has very high calcium composition, avoiding excessive animal protein, limiting salt intake, keeping the ingestion of vitamin C and D in the body and staying away from alcohol
