You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page.
+
-
Gray Colour
Green Colour
ع
Home
Ministry
About the Ministry
- Overview
- Health Indicators
- Organizational Structure
- Strategies, Policies and SLA
- Budget
- Tenders and Procurement
- Partnerships
- Work For Us
- Contact Us
- Sustainable Development
- Help & Support
About the Minister
- Minister’s CV
- Minister's Office
- Contact the Minister
Patient Satisfaction Survey Results
Regulations
Forms
We Care About You
Unified Health File
MOH Initiatives & Projects
Knowledge Management
National E- Health Strategy
Life Events
About MOH Portal
Share Your Opinion with Us
- Prominent E-Participations
Interactive Map
Awareness
Patients’ Rights
Educational Content
- First Aid
- Chronic Diseases
- Health Tips
- Healthy lifestyle
- Oral Health
- Educational Series
- Seasonal and Festival Health
- Child’s Health
- Women's Health
- Various Topics
- Elderly’s Health
Health Tools
- BMI Calculator
- IBW Calculator
- Calorie Calculator
- Best Time To Get Pregnant
- Pregnancy Due Date Calculator
- Visual Acuity Test
- Prediabetes Risk Test
- Asthma Control Test
World Health Days
Premarital Screening
Command & Control Center
Pilgrim’s Health
E-Services
Media Center
MOH News
MOH Announcements
Events and Activities
MOH Publications
Important Links
Open Data
Sign In
Sign In
Educational Content
Diseases
Urologic Diseases
Kidney Stones
Urologic Diseases
Listen
Kidney Stones
Page Image
Page Content
Overview:
Stones are usually found in the kidneys or in the ureters, and they are more common in men than women.
They can be extremely painful, and can lead to kidney infections or the kidney not working properly if left untreated.
Drinking fluids, especially water, is the best means of preventing kidney stones.
Introduction:
Waste products in the blood can occasionally form crystals that collect inside the kidneys. Over time, the crystals may build up to form a hard stone-like lump. Kidney stones come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Some resemble grains of sand, and in rare cases, can be the size of a golf ball. The stone may accumulate inside one or both kidneys, or in the ureter, which is the tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder. They most often affect people between the age of 30 and 60. Men are more likely to get kidney stones.
Most kidney stones are made up of calcium, usually in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a natural substance found in food and is produced daily by the liver. Many types of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and chocolate contain large amounts of oxalate.
Causes:
Not drinking enough fluids
Taking some types of medications, like diuretics
Some diseases, such as: UTIs, gout, and some genetic disorders.
Risk factors
Personal medical history, like having had kidney stones before
Family history. You're more likely to have kidney stones if someone in your family had them
Not drinking enough water
Following a diet rich in protein, sodium, and/or sugar
Being overweight or obese
Having a gastric bypass surgery, or another intestinal surgery
Having kidney cysts
Having high levels of cysteine, oxalate, uric acid, or calcium in your urine
Swelling or irritation of the intestines or joints
Some medicines, such as: diuretics, or calcium-based antacids
Symptoms:
Very small kidney stones are unlikely to cause many symptoms. They may even go undetected and pass out painlessly when you pee. Larger kidney stones can cause symptoms, including:
Pain in the side of your tummy (abdomen) and below your ribs;
Painful urination;
Blood in your urine;
Feeling sick or vomiting;
Cloudy, or foul-smelling urine;
Fever and chills in the case of an inflammation.
When to see a doctor?
Severe pain
Fever and chills
Blood in your urine
Difficulty urinating
Complications:
Abscess
Severe kidney infection
Scarring and narrowing of the ureter
Perforation of the ureter
loss of kidney function from stone blockage
Diagnosis:
Your doctor will diagnose kidney stones based on your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may also perform some tests, such as:
Urine and blood tests.
Imaging exams (e.g. plain abdominal X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, and intravenous urography through dye injection into the arm vein). Ultrasound imaging is used for pregnant women, children, and young adults under the age of 16.
Treatment:
You pass kidney stones in your urine. The condition can be treated at home, but can be painful. Often, the pain does not last for more than two days. Your doctor may advise you to wait until the stone has passed into your urine. Meanwhile, he may recommend the following:
Drinking enough liquids throughout the day
Taking painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen)
Taking alpha-blockers. These are medications that help pass kidney stones.
Large kidney stones that do not travel normally through the urethra are usually removed by surgery:
Ultrasound lithotripsy
Ureteroscope
Surgical removal the kidney stones through the skin.
Prevention:
Drink plenty of water every day, (8-12 glasses) to avoid dehydration. Drink enough fluids when you’re exercising to replace fluids lost through sweat.
Avoid soft drinks.
Reduce salt intake.
Monitor the color of your urine. Dark urine means there is less fluids in your urine and that other substances are more concentrated. In the morning, urine is usually characterized by a dark yellow color as a result of the accumulation of substances that are filtered during sleep.
FAQS:
Can certain diets cause kidney stones?
Overeating proteins (e.g. Red meat) or food that is rich in oxalate. Also, not drinking enough fluids can put you at risk of developing kidney stones. Although the nutritional aspect matters when it comes to kidney stones, it cannot be the only cause of kidney stones if every other aspect is well-taken care of.
Do high urea and creatinine levels affect kidney function?
High levels indicate a disorder of kidney function. Tests must be conducted to find out the cause.
Myths & Truths
Myth:
All cases of kidney stones require surgical intervention.
Truth:
No, some medications may be enough for people who have certain types of kidney stones.
Clinical Education General Department
For inquiries, contact us by
this e-mail
.
in this
Section
Otorhinolaryngological Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Communicable Diseases
Musculoskeletal System Diseases
Nervous System
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Hematology
Endocrine Diseases
Diabetes-related Diseases
Orthopedic Diseases
Eye Diseases
Dermatology
Cancerous Diseases
Chest Diseases
Mental Illness/ Psychological Disorders
Non-Communicable Diseases
Oral and Dental Diseases
Rare Diseases
Urologic Diseases
Currently selected
Also
You may be interested
Last Update :
13 October 2021 08:15 AM
Reading times :
All Rights Reserved – Ministry of Health – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ©
Urologic Diseases
Kidney
Kidney Diseases
Kidney Diseases
Kidney Transplant
Hemodialysis
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)
Prostate Cancer
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
Enlarged Prostate
Prostatitis
Kidney Stones
Currently selected
010
It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.