Anyone who’s struggled with kidney stones knows the pain and discomfort they can cause. An estimated 1 in 10 people will develop a kidney stone, and that number only continues to climb. Risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity can increase the chance you will develop this painful condition.
“We are busy every day treating kidney stones. Five years ago, we performed around 40 surgeries to treat kidney stones each month, and now we’re up to 121 each month,” says George Ho, MD, a urologist at OhioHealth. “Fortunately, new treatment options allow us to provide effective and quick relief when kidney stones strike.”
What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones are crystalized minerals and salts that develop inside your kidneys, often because of concentrated urine. When these crystals form, they can cause significant pain and discomfort. Michael Yu, MD, a urologist at OhioHealth, explains that kidney stones tend to run in families and develop most often because of genetics, diet or a combination of the two. Unfortunately, once you develop a kidney stone there’s a 50% chance you’ll have another.
The symptoms of kidney stones are different for each person, but the most common signs include:
- Significant pain in your back or groin
- Blood in your urine
- Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
- Feeling like you need to constantly empty your bladder
- Fever, nausea and vomiting
Kidney stones come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as a grain of salt or the size of a blueberry. Although they typically pass without causing any lasting damage to your urinary tract, the process can be extremely painful once a stone starts its journey through your ureter.
Kidney Stone Pathway Clinic at OhioHealth
Because kidney stones are so painful, many patients first seek treatment in the Emergency Department. Kidney stones are easily diagnosed with a spiral CT scan, but it often takes weeks for a patient to see a urologist and have a procedure to break up a stone.
To reduce the wait, the Kidney Stone Pathways program at OhioHealth has streamlined the treatment process, and patients typically have their procedure within three days after diagnosis. Early treatment is crucial because, in addition to relieving your pain, it can reduce the risk of complications, such as infection, that can happen when a stone blocks the flow of urine.
“When patients wait for a procedure to break up their kidney stone, they miss work and struggle with pain control,” says Dr. Ho. “This program has transformed the way we deliver care and how quickly we get patients back to their day-to-day activities.”
In addition to transforming how patients receive care for kidney stones, urologists at the OhioHealth Kidney Stone Pathway program use highly advanced lithotripsy technology. Dr. Yu explains that the new Moses 2.0 dual pulse laser first separates the water contained inside your kidney, while a second pulse breaks up kidney stones.
“With this technology, we can break stones into dust, and patients can pass the remains with little or no discomfort,” says Dr. Yu.
Kidney stone prevention
After having a procedure to break up a kidney stone, Dr. Ho says many patients go home relieved they are no longer in pain and believe that’s the end of their treatment. However, both Dr. Ho and Dr. Yu stress that understanding the type of kidney stones you have can go a long way toward preventing another one from developing.
“As with so many things, kidney stones are an example of nature and nurture,” says Dr. Ho. “Some people are genetically predisposed to develop stones. However, there are factors within our control that will impact whether we continue to make stones and how often.”
A simple test, such as a 24-urine collection, can help determine how your kidneys are functioning, as well as the type of kidney stone you are likely to develop. Dr. Ho explains there are seven types of kidney stones, each with multiple causes. Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate and form because of inadequate hydration.
“There’s no doubt that diet and hydration play a role in the formation of kidney stones. Most of the patients we treat are not drinking enough water,” says Dr. Yu. “Your urine should be clear or light in color. If it’s dark yellow or orange, you need to boost your hydration.”
There is some evidence that drinking citrus-based fluids such as lemonade, juice or water with a squeeze of lemon can help prevent kidney stones. While even 7-Up or Sprite can be helpful, Dr. Yu warns his patients to be cautious about drinking sugary beverages because excess sugar can also cause kidney stones to form. Other risk factors include a diet high in processed food or sodium.
Kidney stones also frequently contain uric acid and form because of a genetic predisposition. Less commonly, stones are composed of struvite, which can be the result of an infection, or cystine, a type of kidney stone that runs in families.
Dr. Ho explains that for people who struggle with recurring kidney stones, there is hope.
“We can find out how and why people are making stones, which means more effective treatment options and better prevention,” he says. “After someone has a heart attack, there’s a lot of focus on how to prevent future cardiac events. That’s not always the case with kidney stones, but it should be.”
