Kidney stones: Avoid excess fat, sugar and salt

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Extract from the article: Les calculs rénaux, communément appelés « pierres aux reins », sont des cristaux qui se forment dans les reins et peuvent entraîner de vives douleurs. Quels sont les facteurs de risques ? Quelles sont les complications ? Comment prévenir cette pathol

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Kidney stones are crystals that form in the kidneys and can cause severe pain. What are the risk factors? What are the complications? How can this condition be prevented?

Kidney stones are pebbles or stony concretions in the cavities of the kidney, i.e. stones that form in the urinary tract. The kidney filters the blood to eliminate certain constituents and retain others. As a result, certain substances become too concentrated in the kidneys. These must be diluted to be eliminated by the kidneys. 

When the concentration increases, instead of these substances being dissolved and eliminated by the kidneys through the urine, they will crystallise and solidify. The gradual deposits of these crystallised substances will eventually come together, grow and form a stone that is retained in the kidney cavities.

Different types of stone

These are minerals, stones, which may be calculus, uric acid, phosphorus or cystine. These will determine the cause of the presence of the stones. There are several types of stone. The majority of stones are those containing calcium, phosphano-calcic or oxcalo-calcic stones. There are also so-called infection stones, caused by certain infections due to endogenous bacteria, and uric acid stones, linked to gout and hyperuricaemia (excess uric acid). Other types of stone can be induced by medication or certain hereditary diseases. The most important are calcium, uric acid and infection stones.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms of stones. The first symptom that alerts most patients is pain. The stone that forms in the kidney can become blocked in the kidney cavities. As a result, the urine produced upstream will distend the kidneys. Urine will no longer be able to pass, and the kidneys will swell. This often causes severe pain known as renal colic, which brings the patient to the doctor.

The second symptom is the presence of blood in the urine. As the stone is a rock, it can cause injury to the wall of the urinary tract and lead to bleeding. Infections can also be a warning sign.

Risk factors

There are several risk factors. The first risk factor is insufficient intake of fluids and water, or poor hydration. Drinking less reduces the volume of urine and encourages the concentration of mineral salts in the urine, thereby increasing the risk of crystallisation. The second risk factor is known as metabolic. This factor is linked to the way the body functions. Excessive eating - eating too much fat, too much sugar or too much salt - is a risk factor for lithiasis and kidney stones. If we eat too much sugar, we will have high blood sugar levels, which can be a risk factor. If you eat a lot of meat and drink enough alcohol and develop gout or hyperuricemia (excess uric acid), you will develop a stone. Apart from water intake, everyone needs to control their diet. There are also genetic diseases. Any kidney disease that disrupts kidney function can cause stones.

Complications

The most serious complication is the destruction of the kidney. The stone can become blocked in the cavity of the kidney. If this happens over a long period of time, the kidney may be destroyed and lose its function. If the stone is bilateral or in a single kidney, the patient may eventually suffer kidney failure. Another complication is the risk of infection. When the stone becomes blocked and urine is no longer evacuated correctly, what is known as urinary stasis occurs. This stasis of urine can lead to infections, which can be serious. It can also lead to destruction of the kidneys, spread throughout the body and pass into the bloodstream.

Respecting dietary measures

Patients should always seek medical advice if they have stones, develop stones or experience pain in areas of the kidney. This consultation enables lithiasis to be diagnosed early so that it can be treated. To prevent kidney stones, he advises people to drink plenty of water, and to avoid overeating - too much fat, too much sugar, too much salt and too much meat. This prevention also applies to people who already have an illness linked to overeating. If you have gout, high blood pressure, are overweight or eat too many unhealthy fats, you should consult your doctor regularly. This is so that certain warning signs of stones can be detected in good time. Patients should also consult a nutritionist or dietician to help them achieve this goal, if they realise that their stones are linked to their diet or lifestyle.

Patients should pay particular attention to the dosage of pharmacopoeia products. Excessive use of these drugs can lead to kidney destruction and renal failure.  The medicines and herbal teas that patients consume are drugs that encourage the production of urine, which can be used in certain cases, especially as a preventive measure, to dissolve the substances that produce stones by increasing the production of urine. 

William O.

Source: Pr Aristide Fasnéwindé Kaboré, head of the urology department at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado-Ouédraogo (CHU-YO)