What If Kidney Stones Are Left Untreated?

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The main function of the kidneys is the removal of wastes and excess fluids from the body in the form of urine. Sometimes, when there are too much waste material and not enough fluids, these waste products can crystallize and get collected inside the kidneys. Over time, these crystals can transform into hard stone-like lumps, known as kidney stones.

Pristyn Care Team

Updated on: 28th July 2023

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Kidney stones are very common. It is estimated that 1 in every 20 people around the world develops kidney stones at some point in time in their life. Although people of any age can have kidney stones, kidney stones are more common in the age group of 30-60 years.

Table of Contents

Some of the major risk factors for kidney stones are:

Family or personal history of the condition
Obesity
Not drinking enough water
Diets having high protein, salt or sugar
Gastric bypass surgery
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Some specific medications

One of the major factors that increase the risks of kidney stones is the production of less than 1-liter urine per day. This is probably the reason why premature babies with kidney problems are more prone to developing kidney stones.

Kidney stones do not have any symptoms until they move around in the kidney. These are also sometimes called silent stones. However, once they start moving around in the kidney and pass into the ureter, symptoms may start surfacing. At this stage, you may experience severe and excruciating pain in the lower back. Men may experience pain in the groin area as well. Other signs and symptoms of kidney stones include brown or red-colored urine, blood in the urine, urinating small amounts of urine and pain while urinating.

(Also Read: How Beneficial is Barely Water For Kidney Stones)

Also, kidney stones can worsen over time. If left untreated, kidney stones can lead to a number of complications.

Let’s now understand why you should not leave kidney stones untreated:

Kidney stones can cause severe pain: When large kidney stones pass into the ureters, there is a possibility that they may get stuck there. This can cause blockage of the ureters and you may experience severe kidney stones pain.

Kidney stones increase the risk of UTIs: Kidney stones can block the ureters. They can also cause the narrowing of the ureters. In such a case, urine may build-up thereby increasing the strain on the kidneys. This also increases the risk of infections.

Kidney stones can lead to infections in the kidney: In some cases, the kidney stones can get infected. The most common symptom of such an infection is fever with chills. This is an emergency situation and can even be life-threatening.

Kidney stones can even lead to kidney failure: If you have a very large kidney stone and you leave it untreated, it may cause permanent damage to the kidney and even lead to kidney failure. The worst part is that this damage can occur even without any specific symptoms, which is why it is important to consult a specialist doctor.

Another trouble associated with kidney stones is that they have a tendency to reappear. If you have kidney stones, the chances of their recurrence in the next 5-7 years increases by 50 percent. This, in turn, increases the risk of recurrence of urinary tract infections and other problems.

You must have become aware now that if you leave kidney stones untreated, it can lead to serious complications. These complications can even be life-threatening in some cases. Therefore, if you face any of the symptoms of kidney stones, do not take it lightly. Consult a urologist and get kidney stones treated timely.

Do not sweat over it much, as effective treatments are available for kidney stones. These can be surgical as well as non-surgical. The choice of treatment depends upon the size and severity of kidney stones in your case.

For small stones, you can apply the wait and watch approach. Small kidney stones can break down and pass through the urine on their own in 4-8 weeks. To aid the process, certain medications are there. There are a variety of such medications available in Allopathy, Ayurveda, and Homeopathy. These loosen up the muscles of the urinary system so that the stone can pass out easily. Stones of size 4mm have an 80 percent chance of passing whereas stones of size 5mm have a 20 percent chance of passing through the urine.

However, for larger stones, your doctor may suggest surgical kidney stone treatment. Nowadays modern surgical techniques are available which are minimally invasive. The most advanced and most common surgical treatment for kidney stones is lithotripsy.

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Lithotripsy for kidney stones

Lithotripsy involves the use of shock waves. These shock waves break the larger kidney stones into smaller ones. Once this is achieved, the small pieces can easily pass through the urinary tract and can be expelled out of the body through the urine. The procedure gets completed in less than an hour and is performed under general anesthesia.

Lithotripsy is a minimally-invasive and very effective procedure. If you too are going through the pain and troubles of kidney stones, get in touch with Pristyn Care.

FAQs

When dietary changes such as having more fluids and fibers along with medications do not work, you have to go for better treatment. Usually, people who have large or multiple kidney stones that cannot pass on their own through urine need to go for surgical treatment. The surgical treatment is the best option for a person with complicated kidney stones, otherwise, the stones may damage their kidneys.

So if your condition of kidney stones requires surgical treatment, you don’t have to spend days worrying about it. The advances in the medical field have made minimally invasive treatment for kidney stones come into existence. The shock wave lithotripsy is the best treatment for kidney stones.

Kidney stones are a common health problem that occurs mostly due to our unhealthy lifestyle and eating lifestyle. It is of utmost importance to seek medical help as soon the symptoms start troubling you. The symptoms of kidney stones are:-