What are Renal Stones?
Renal stones, also known as kidney stones, are stone-like lumps which can develop in one or both of the kidneys. Renal stones occur when waste products from the kidneys form crystals which collect around the inside of the kidney, which may build up to form the stone-like lump of a renal stone.
Symptoms usually occur if the kidney stone gets stuck in your kidney, starts to travel down the ureter, or causes an infection. Renal colic is the severe pain caused by a kidney stone.
How common are Renal Stones?
Renal stones are quite common and usually affect people aged between 30 and 60 years old. It is estimated that renal colic affects about 10-20% of men, and 3-5% of women.
What are the symptoms of Renal Stones?
Renal stones usually cause intense pain the your stomach or groin, feeling restless, nausea, blood in your urine, a burning sensation when you urinate, a high temperature, and feeling like you need to urinate more often.
How are renal stones treated?
Preventative measures should be taken to avoid getting renal stones. Make sure you drink plenty of water each day to keep your urine diluted.
Renal stones will be treated in different ways depending on their size. Medication can be given to help with the pain, and you may be sent home to wait for the renal stone to pass.
If the renal stone is too big to be passed naturally you may need to have treatment to remove it, by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, ureteroscopy or surgery.
If you have not received treatment or advice, or suffered any symptoms in the past five years choose a moratorium product.