KIDNEY STONES

Zainab Mohammed Hassan  U16MM1025 

Musa Buhari Gyambar   U16MM1062

Muhammad Hussaini Yakubu  U17MM2055

Photo credit: health.havard.edu

Each year, more than half a million people go to emergency rooms for kidney related  conditions. However, kidney stone is one of the most common health challenge that affects the human body.

 The kidneys are one of the most important organs in the human body. They are a pair of bean-shaped organs located on both sides of the spine, below the ribs and behind the belly. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long, roughly the size of a large fist. 

The major function of the  kidneys are to filter  blood.  They primarily serve as the ‘laundry’ or ‘purification house’ of the body removing metabolic waste by filtering blood, reabsorbing selective nutrients, and secretion. This is because all blood supply to the body pass through them.  

• FUNCTIONS OF THE KIDNEY.
• TYPES OF KIDNEY STONES.
• CAUSES OF KIDNEY STONES.
• SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES.
• TREATMENT OF KIDNEY STONES .
• KEEPING THE KIDNEY HEALTHY 

FUNCTION OF THE KIDNEY 

The kidney performs the following functions 

1. It controls acid-base balance 

2. Controls water balance, 

3. Maintains Electrolyte balance 

4. Removes toxins and waste products from the body

5. Controls  blood pressure 

6. Produces the hormone Erythropoietin

7. Activates vitamin D.

KIDNEY STONES

Photo Credit: gettyimages.com

Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits of minerals and acid salts that stick together in concentrated urine. Urine has various wastes dissolved in it. When there is too much waste in too little liquid, crystals begin to form. 

The crystal stones attract other elements and join together to form a solid that will get larger unless it is passed out of the body with the urine. This crystals stones can grow large enough to block urine flow and  can be painful when passing through the urinary tract, but usually don't cause permanent damage. The risk of kidney stones is about 11% in men and 9% in women.

TYPES OF KIDNEY STONES 

There are four main types of Kidney stones:

* Calcium oxalate

This is the most common  type of kidney stone which is created when calcium combines with oxalate in the urine. This oxalate are substances found in foods like green, leafy vegetables , chocolates, nuts and tea etc combined with calcium. 

 Inadequate calcium and fluid intake, as well other conditions, may contribute to their formation.

* Uric acid

This is another common type of kidney stone. Foods such as organ meats and shellfish have high concentrations of a natural chemical compound known as purines. High purine intake leads to a higher production of monosodium urate, which, under the right conditions, may form stones in the kidneys. The formation of these types of stones tends to run in families.

* Struvite

Struvite stones are a type of hard mineral deposit that can form in your kidneys. . Struvite is a mineral that is produced by bacteria in your urinary tract. These stones are less common and are caused by infections in the upper urinary tract. While 10 to 15 percent of kidney stones are caused my Stuvite it is more common  in women. 

* Cystine

These  type of Kidney stones are rare and tend to run in families. It is formed from a chemical called Cystine . This chemical is often a product of a condition called cystinuria. Cystine stones tend to be larger and sometimes need to be removed surgically to prevent damage to the kidneys or urinary tract. It affects all people from different age groups. 

CAUSES OF KIDNEY STONES

The possible causes of Kidney stones are a lot . The major cause is  lack of water. Kidney stone happens when urine does not have enough fluids and substances to keep them from happening.  Other causes of kidney stones are high level of oxalate foods, gut problems, obesity, weight loss surgery, or eating food with too much salt or sugar. 

Also Infections and family history of Kidney stones may be a likely cause of Kidney stones in some people. Eating too much fructose correlates with increasing risk of developing a kidney stone.

SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES 

The most common symptom are severe pain on either sides of your lower back, more vague pain or stomach ache that does not go away usually by the side of the abdomen that is often associated with nausea, fever , urine that smells bad or look cloudy, passing only small amounts of pee, burning feeling when peeing and troubling when peeing.

TREATMENTS FOR KIDNEY STONES

The treatment for kidney stones is similar in children and adults. You may be asked to drink a lot of water in order to flush the stone through urine . You may also get medication to help make your urine less acidic. But if it is too large, or if it blocks the flow of urine, or if there is a sign of infection, it is removed with surgery.

KEEPING THE KIDNEYS HEALTHY 

Kidneys are so important, you cannot live without them. But it is possible to live a perfectly healthy life with only one working kidney. Therefore to keep the kidneys healthy and avoiding kidney diseases, one needs to:

Eat a balanced and healthy diet, eat enough fruit like watermelon and banana because many kidney problems result from high blood pressure and diabetes. Therefore maintaining a healthy diet can prevent several common causes of kidney disease.

Drink plenty of water because fluids intake is important, especially water and avoid drinks which contain citric acid. Around 6 to 8 cups of water per day can help improve and maintain kidney health.

Avoid salty food, consuming more than a bottle of alcohol a day is harmful to the kidney, avoid smoking as tobacco smoking restricts blood vessels. Which means without adequate blood supply, the kidneys will not be able to complete their normal work.

Be careful when taking supplements, as not all dietary supplements and vitamins are beneficial. Some can harm the kidneys if a person takes too many.

Get enough exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. This reduces the risk of high blood pressure and obesity, both of which put pressure on kidney health.

Lastly, Sleep and stress control. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recommends  getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night and seeking out activities to reduce stress.