Kidney Stones Treatment in Delhi & Gurgaon

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are solid masses or crystals that form from substances (like minerals, acids and salts) in your kidneys. They can be as small as a grain of sand or — rarely — larger than a golf ball. Kidney stones are also called renal calculi or nephrolithiasis.

Depending on the size of your kidney stone (or stones), you may not even realize that you have one. Smaller stones can pass through your urinary tract in your pee with no symptoms. Large kidney stones can get trapped in your ureter (the tube that drains urine from your kidney down to your bladder). This can cause pee to back up and limit your kidney's ability to filter waste from your body. It can also cause bleeding.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain in your lower back, belly or side (flank pain). It might feel like it extends from your groin to your side. It can be a dull pain or sharp and severe. It's sometimes called colicky pain because it can get worse in waves.

Other kidney stone symptoms include:

Nausea and vomiting
Bloody pee
Pain when you pee
Inability to pee

Feeling the urge to pee a lot
Fever or chills
Cloudy or foul-smelling pee

Note: Smaller kidney stones may not cause pain or other symptoms.

What causes kidney stones?

Your pee contains minerals, acids and other substances, like calcium, sodium, oxalate and uric acid. When you have too many particles of these substances in your pee and too little liquid, they can start to stick together, forming crystals or stones. Kidney stones can form over months or years.

Types of kidney stones

Stones are named for the type of crystals they're made up of:

Calcium-oxalate and calcium phosphate stones

Calcium-based stones can form when you eat high-oxalate or low-calcium foods and aren't drinking enough fluids. Calcium-oxalate stones are the most common type of kidney stones.

Uric acid stones

Eating animal proteins (beef, poultry, pork, eggs and fish) can cause uric acid stones to form.

Struvite stones

Bacterial infections can cause struvite stones. Repeated infections can lead to a staghorn calculus, a very large kidney stone that usually needs to be surgically removed.

Cystine stones

An inherited condition called cystinuria causes cystine stones. Cystine is a substance made of two cysteine amino acids bound together.

What are the risk factors for kidney stones?

You might be at a higher risk of developing kidney stones if you:

Don't drink enough fluids

Eat meat and other protein-rich foods

Eat foods high in sodium or sugars (sucrose and fructose)

Take vitamin C supplements

Have a family history of kidney stones

Have a blockage in your urinary tract

Have had stomach or intestine surgery, including gastric bypass surgery

Take certain medications. This includes some diuretics, calcium-based antacids, some antiseizure medications and certain others

Have certain medical conditions

Medical conditions that increase kidney stone risk

Certain health conditions can put you at a higher risk for kidney stones. These include:

Cystic fibrosis

Cystinuria, a genetic disorder

Diabetes

Gout

High blood pressure

High calcium levels in urine

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Kidney cysts

Obesity

Osteoporosis

Parathyroid disease

Primary hyperoxaluria

Hemiplegia or paraplegia (types of paralysis)

What are the complications of kidney stones?

Kidney stones can put you at risk for:

A blockage that backs pee up into your kidney

Causing it to swell (hydronephrosis)

Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)

Serious infection requiring medical treatment

Acute kidney injury

A type of kidney failure that can be reversible

Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Recurrent infections due to obstruction

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Long-term damage to kidney function

Diagnosis and Tests

How are kidney stones diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use imaging, blood and urine (pee) tests to diagnose kidney stones. If your provider suspects you have a kidney stone based on your symptoms and physical exam, you may need one or more of these tests:

Urine test

A provider can test your pee for blood, stone-forming crystals and signs of infection.

Imaging

X-rays, CT scans (computed tomography scans) and ultrasound can help your healthcare provider see the size, shape, location and number of stones.

Blood tests

A provider can use blood tests to check your kidney function, detect infections and look for high levels of calcium or other conditions that could lead to stone formation.

Can kidney stones be prevented?

The things you eat and drink can impact your risk for kidney stones. Talk to your healthcare provider or dietitian about ways that you can reduce your risk. They might recommend:

Drinking plenty of water

Limiting animal proteins

Limiting foods high in sugar and sodium

Limiting foods high in oxalates

Maintaining a weight that's healthy for you

Eating foods that are good sources of calcium

Prescription medications if dietary changes don't help

Important Note: If you have calcium oxalate stones, your provider might recommend you avoid foods like spinach, rhubarb, wheat bran, tree nuts and peanuts. While it may not seem like it, foods high in calcium can help prevent kidney stones. The same isn't true for calcium supplements or antacids with calcium, which can increase your risk for stones.