Unpredictable complications of kidney stones

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1. What is a kidney stone disease?

Kidney stones are the most common pathology in the urinary tract. This is the most common urolithiasis in middle-aged men. The age of the disease is usually between 30-60 years old. When the urinary system begins to have stone deposition and crystallization, small crystals and stones often follow the urinary tract and are excreted outside. At a certain point in the urinary tract, the stone or crystal will continue to settle and crystallize to form larger stones.
Here, the stones get bigger and bigger, which will obstruct the flow of urine and lead to urine stagnation, swelling in the upper part of the blockage. At this location, there will be many complications of kidney stones such as infection, urinary obstruction, kidney failure,... Therefore, if kidney stones are detected early and treated promptly, there will be no danger but if In the long run, it can lead to dangerous complications.

2. Complications of kidney stones

Dangerous complications of kidney stones can be mentioned as:
2.1 Urinary tract infections The residues, if not completely eliminated, accumulate in the kidneys, this is an opportunity for bacteria to thrive. in the urinary tract. Patients with kidney stones may have symptoms such as purulent urination, blood in the urine, hematuria, and may be accompanied by high fever and back pain symptoms. If this condition is not detected in time, timely treatment can cause difficulties in later treatment by the doctor. When the urinary tract infection is in remission, the kidney stone disease can be completely treated.
2.2 Kidney failure Stones will block the urinary tract of both kidneys at the same time, the patient will lose urine completely, this condition if left for many days can lead to death. When the kidneys are waterlogged, a long-term infection will gradually destroy the renal parenchyma, the kidney unit until about 50% of the body is lost. However, if the kidney unit loses up to 75% then you will be at risk of kidney failure. At this time, to be able to continue to maintain life, the patient will have to undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant, which is very expensive and cannot be cured.

2.3 Renal rupture Renal rupture is one of the complications of kidney stones that occurs when the kidneys hold too much water while the kidney walls are thin. However, this is a very rare case. When the renal calyces are distended, the urine will create a high pressure on the nerves and the renal cortex, causing renal colic, severe inflammation in the urinary tract, and necrosis of the urinary tract.
2.4 Urinary Obstruction When stones are formed in the renal pelvis or calyx or bladder, there is a possibility that they will enter the ureters and urethra. The stones will occupy the entire cross-section of the ureter and urethra, causing urinary tract obstruction. At this time, the urethral system will contract harder to push the stone out of the blockage.
This is the stage when you feel a dull or sharp pain in the area between the ribs and gradually spreading below the groin. When the urinary tract is blocked, waste products and urine will not be able to escape, causing the kidneys or ureters to become waterlogged or blocked.
2.5 Acute pyelonephritis Urinary tract obstruction due to long-term untreated kidney stones will lead to acute bacterial infection in the renal calyces, ureters and renal pelvis. Severe pyelonephritis will cause acute pyelonephritis. Symptoms of acute pyelonephritis occur suddenly and are urgent such as high fever, severe hip pain and pus urine,...

3. What should people with kidney stones do?

To prevent kidney stones, you should visit and check your health periodically to detect abnormalities in the body early. Early treatment also helps the disease progress better as well as prevent dangerous complications. In addition, patients should pay attention to the prevention of disease recurrence to avoid the increased risk of kidney failure. The treatment process for kidney stones depends on many factors such as size, location and number of stones. If the stone is less than 5mm, it will usually drink a lot of water to be excreted through the urine. At the same time, the doctor will prescribe some pain relievers and antibiotics if there is an infection. If the stone size is large and cannot be eliminated by itself, then it is necessary to go to the hospital to intervene with different methods such as modern laparoscopic surgery such as:
Lithotripsy by shock waves outside the body Endoscopic stone removal through skin Endoscopic lithotripsy with rigid bronchoscope endoscopic retrograde lithotripsy with flexible bronchoscope. In addition, when there are any unusual signs such as excessive pain, blood in the urine, difficulty urinating, etc., it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility for examination and timely intervention.
In summary, kidney stones are one of the diseases that account for 45-50% of urinary diseases in Vietnam, the common age group is from 30-60 years old. If kidney stones are not detected early and intervened, they can cause unpredictable complications such as urinary tract infections, pyelonephritis, calyctal stenosis, interstitial nephritis, fluid retention, pyelonephritis, and dilated calyces. renal pelvis, renal abscess,... Therefore, when there are any abnormal signs such as excessive pain, blood in urine, difficulty urinating,... it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility to be examined. examination and timely intervention.

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