Kidney Stones

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones or renal calculi (also known as lithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts, formed inside the kidneys. It is a very frequent urological disease, since the estimated incidence in Europe and developed countries is 0.5 - 1%, with a prevalence of 5 - 10%. In Spain, the annual incidence is 0.7%, with a prevalence of 4.5% (4.8% in men and 3.8% in women) and a peak of maximum frequency between the third and fifth decade of life.

Kidney stones can affect any part of the urinary tract, from the kidneys to the bladder. In general, they are formed when urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and bind together. This pathology usually manifests itself in the form of repeated attacks of renal colic and generates a high number of medical consultations and hospital admissions.

Types of kidney stones

Knowing what type of kidney stone or kidney stone patients have helps to find out its cause, as well as giving a clue to reduce its formation. The types of kidney stones are:

Calcium oxalate stones: the most common stones (70-80% of all stones) are calcium oxalate stones. Oxalate is a substance produced by the liver on a daily basis or obtained from certain foods such as broad-leaved vegetables (chard or spinach), nuts, strawberries or pure chocolate. Diet, high doses of vitamin D and metabolic disorders are factors that can increase the concentration of oxalate in the urine.
Uric acid stones: Uric acid stones comprise 10% of cases. They can form in people who eat a diet rich in protein and in those with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Struvite stones: Struvite stones (4% of cases) form from urinary tract infections. They are stones that can grow very large and obstruct the kidney, ureters or bladder.
Cystine stones: this is a very specific type of stones, with a very small percentage (less than 1%), which are associated with cystine, a hereditary disease that has an autosomal recessive inheritance.

Complications

In the long term, kidney or urinary tract stones can lead to various complications:

Acute renal failure: when they cause obstruction, the clinical picture is severe and may lead to acute renal failure, requiring early attention.
Chronic renal failure: when they appear repeatedly or are caused by genetic factors, they can lead to chronic renal failure.
Loss of renal function: they can generate loss of renal function, especially when repeated or prolonged episodes of obstruction and infection occur, isolated or combined, sometimes leading to irrecoverable deterioration of the affected renal units.

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Kidney Stones

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What diet should I follow if I have kidney stones?

A healthy, varied, Mediterranean diet should be followed, abundant in water, avoiding salt, not only that which is added, but also that which comes from some foods such as cold cuts, avoiding sugars and reducing the intake of saturated fats.

What is the best water to drink if I have kidney stones?

Many studies have been done on this. What they have been able to say is that, if the water you drink from the tap is good, with little calcification, there would be no problem in terms of the creation of stones. If it is mineral water, which is bought in supermarkets, it is important to look at the label and buy the one with the lowest sodium concentration.

Can the kidney be lost due to stones?

The loss of the renal unit can occur in those patients with stones that show few or no symptoms, since they grow silently and become large.

Is it possible to exercise with kidney stones?

A person with kidney stones can do physical exercise and should do so, since it leads to an improvement in metabolism and is known to promote the elimination of solutes. It is true that physical activity will dehydrate more, especially if it is summer, having to hydrate more than usual because of the fluid lost in sports.

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