Kidney Stones: Frequently Asked Questions, and Their Answers

Kidney Stones: Frequently Asked Questions

Are kidney stones a new health problem?

Kidney stones are not new. They have afflicted humans for thousands of years, having been found in Egyptian mummies and Indian graves.

How common are kidney stones?

In spite of increased knowledge and treatment procedures, kidney stones still present themselves as a major health problem. Each year, in the USA alone, Americans run to their doctors’ offices more than 3,000,000 times, and more than 500,000 people rush to emergency rooms due to kidney stone attacks.

What are the odds of getting a kidney stone?

According to one report, 1 in every 10 men and 1 in every 20 women living in North America will, at some time in their life, develop a kidney stone.

What age group is most likely to get kidney stones?

Although children, and even cats and dogs, can get kidney stones, generally kidney stone problems dramatically increase as men enter their 40s and gets worse into their 70s. For women, the prevalence of kidney stones peaks in their 50s.

What are some kidney stone symptoms?

If the kidney stone becomes lodged in the ureter, it can cause extreme pain in the flank or back, spreading across the lower regions of the body and downwards to the groin and inner thigh. Even small stones can present you with great pain. Depending on the size, shape and location of your stone, the pain can be severe, even excruciating. The pain experienced by some kidney stone sufferers has been compared to that experienced during childbirth. You may develop additional symptoms including chills, fever, gastrointestinal problems and even blood in the urine.

What are kidney stones made of?

The majority of kidney stones are comprised of calcium oxalate, the easiest to remove naturally. There are a few other types comprised of varied substances. You should talk to your doctor to determine what type you have.

Can kidney stones recur?

The above referenced report said that 20% of kidney stone patients will develop another stone within five years. Plus, if you get more than one stone, then more kidney stones are likely to develop.

What size are kidney stones?

Most stones are small, 5mm or less (less than ¼ inch), although they have been known to grow to over 30mm, or as big as a golf ball. When very small, as in sand-like particles, they can usually be eliminated during urination. When very large, medical treatment is necessary.

What causes kidney stones?

Under ordinary circumstances, minerals or other elements in the urine are diluted and passed out of the body. However, when these minerals are not diluted, and they start to stick or clump together, they can grow to become stones, similar in principle to a pearl forming in an oyster.

They can be composed of many substances and take on various shapes. In the USA, 75-80% of all kidney stones are mainly composed of calcium oxalate.

There are many reasons why they occur, including inherited disorders, extreme dehydration, diet, infection, endocrinological disorders, disturbances in one’s metabolic system, alcohol, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle or occupation.

Why are kidney stones so painful?

Kidney stones often form with jagged sharp edges or points, and as they grow, they can inflict severe pain, especially as they move around. So shape, size and movement are factors that can cause excruciating pain.

Will vitamins or minerals help?

Certain vitamins such as B6 and Vitamin E have proven helpful, while Vitamin C, especially in larger amounts, have increased the risk of kidney stones. Beneficial minerals include Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium.

What treatments for kidney stones are available?

(Note: Prior to undertaking any treatment, a medical professional who is familiar with that kind of therapy should be consulted.)

Several treatment options have been used to eliminate kidney stones. These include:

· Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

· Percutaneous Ultrasonic Lithotripsy

· Laser

· Surgery

· All-natural home remedies

There are natural remedies that have proven very effective in helping thousands of people to dissolve and flush out their kidney stones naturally, safely, painlessly and quickly … often in as little as 12 hours!

If your doctor has determined that you have calcium-based kidney stones and that they are 7mm or less in size, then the quickest, easiest and painless way to get rid of them is described in The Kidney Stone Removal Report by Joe Barton.