If you’ve never developed a kidney stone yourself, you probably have one or two friends. And they are not a picnic for about half a million Americans who visit the emergency room each year for kidney stones.
As a diabetic person, you definitely have a higher risk of developing kidney stones. Especially when blood sugar levels are chronically high.
Kidney stones can be extremely painful, but fortunately, they are relatively easy to treat.
In this article, we will explain what kidney stones are, the risks that cause them to develop by suffering from diabetes, the causes and symptoms, how they are treated, and why they can be prevented from developing in the first place.
What is kidney stone?
Kidney stones, also known as “uric acid stones” or “renal stones,” are small, hard objects that develop from chemicals in the urine. National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
In fact, there are several different types of kidney stones and different chemicals that contribute to their development, such as calcium, oxalic acid, uric acid, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate.
Generally, the formation of calcium oxalate or urinary stones is unbalanced. There is too much waste in the urine and it is not enough liquid.
One purpose of our body’s need to urinate is to pass on excessive amounts of chemicals. Therefore, the development of kidney stones is to make it clear that your diet may require some improvement and/or not drink enough water.
According to NKF, the four types of kidney stones are:
Calcium oxalate: This is the most common type of kidney stone, which occurs when calcium mixes with oxalate in the urine. A diet lacking in calcium and proper water is the number one cause of this type of kidney stone. This means that you can easily prevent it by drinking liquids and taking dark, lush greens during your diet.
uric acid: This type of kidney stone is common in people with diabetes (more on this) and in people who consume diets that are rich in organ meat and shellfish. The large amount of pudding found in these foods can lead to stones. This type of stone can “run through your family.”
struvite: These stones are generally a direct result of urinary tract infections. If you tend to develop UTIs, this can also be a pain on a regular basis.
Cystine: The rarest types of kidney stones, these are probably people who “run in the family” and also have “cystinuria.” Cystinuria is a rare condition in which high levels of cystine (amino acids) accumulate in the urine, forming crystals that become stones.
Some stones remain in the kidneys, while others may actually pass through your urinary tract and without much effort or pain. Drinking the right amount of water will help to constantly drain these crystals out of the system.
The problem arises when these crystals continue to continue too fast, rather than being eliminated by the kidneys. Instead of passing naturally, they accumulate in your kidneys or become clogged in your urinary tract, eventually creating a blockage.
This obstruction prevents the urine from properly passing through the urine, as it returns to the kidneys, bladder, or urinary tract, causing incredible pain.
Symptoms of kidney stones
It may have passed through small kidney stones and crystals throughout your life, but the stones are too large to pass through and the symptoms of kidney stones develop.
According to NKF, the most common symptoms of kidney stones include:
- Extreme pain on the side of the lower back
- General stomach and torso pain
- Blood in your urine
- Sudden nausea and vomiting
- Sudden fever and cold
- Cloudy urine
- Strong smell of your urine
If you think you have some or all of these symptoms, please visit an emergency room or emergency clinic immediately.
Healthcare teams may do “high resolution CT scans” or “Kub X-rays” to see the exact size, shape and location of the stone.
Causes of kidney stones
The most common cause of “calcium oxalate” or “uric acid” kidney stones is fairly simple. So, preventing them is feasible, but it can be a little difficult for people with diabetes.
A combination of just a few of these less healthy habits can significantly increase the risk of kidney stones.
Why people with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones
Well, you already know that hyperglycemia can be consistently linked Nephropathy (Kidney Disease)However, kidney stones are an additional problem that diabetics can develop.
High blood sugar leads to higher acidity in your urine
The higher your blood sugar level, the more acidic your blood and urine become. This acid leads to the development of uric acid stones.
Research from European Urology We found that patients with type 2 diabetes with HBA1C levels above 6.5% were at a 92% higher risk of developing kidney stones.
Additionally, patients with type 2 diabetes taking HBA1C between 5.7-6.4% insulin had a 34% higher risk of kidney stones.
In general, patients in the study with fasting glucose levels above 126 mg/dL were 28% more likely to develop kidney stones compared to patients with normal fasting glucose levels.
This study reported an important finding that the main component of kidney stones in people with type 2 diabetes is uric acid compared to the most common type of calcium oxalate, a non-diabetic population.
Insulin resistance increases the likelihood of kidney stones
Other studies have found a direct relationship between insulin resistance and kidney stones.
“Insulin resistance plays an important role in type 2 diabetes,” he said. Urology Review“And it is associated with the formation of uric acid stones. Insulin resistance can cause defects in kidney ammonium production and lowers urinary pH, thus creating a favorable environment for uric acid stones.”
Another published study Advanced biomedical researchI have come to the same conclusion.
“Insulin resistance, a characteristic of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, causes urinary pH to decrease due to impaired renal ammonia,” the study explains.
Insulin resistance and hyperglycemia appear to significantly lower the pH in the urine, the main influencer of uric acid stone development. This makes the urine of some people with type 2 diabetes an ideal environment for the formation of kidney stones.
Treatment Options
Luckily, kidney stones are treatable, but the treatment that is right for you depends on the type, location and size of your stone.
Common treatment options for calcium oxalate and uric acid kidney stones include: National Institute of Diabetes and Gastrointestinal Diseases and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):
Meet with a urologist
Urologists specialize in health and treatment of conditions, including the bladder and urinary tract.
Kidney stones are heavily related to your urine, so you may meet with a urologist rather than a nephrologist (who specializes in kidney health). The urologist uses the aforementioned Kub X-rays to assess the size and location of the stone to determine the optimal treatment path.
Shockwave littotrypsy
This painless treatment will “blot” kidney stones into smaller pieces, allowing urine to pass through more easily. They may be small enough to pass without much pain or effort.
Shockwave treatment itself is not painful, but some patients are still undergoing anesthesia during the procedure. The recovery period for this treatment is also short. I walk myself right after the procedure, so it takes a day or two to recover at home before I resume normal physical activity.
Cystoscopy and ureteroscopy
This treatment includes a “cystoscope” to look inside the urethra and bladder to find stones. The doctor then breaks it into small pieces and passes through the urine. Otherwise, you’ll remove all the stones.
This outpatient procedure can be uncomfortable and you are under anesthesia, but you can go home the same day.
Percutaneous nephromyotomy
Similar to cystoscopy, this treatment involves nephroscopes finding and removing kidney stones.
This process is more invasive as the device is inserted directly into the kidney through a small cut in the back. For larger stones, use a laser to split them into smaller pieces, making them more passable.
This procedure requires you to stay in the hospital for several days after anesthesia and procedure.
Ureteral stent
rear Any Of these treatment options, the urologist may decide to place a thin, flexible tube in the urinary tract. This “ureteral stent” helps to make urine and remaining stones passing more easily.
Your urologist will also want to look into it and collect stones to determine what it is made of. This will help you accurately diagnose the type of kidney stone that you have developed.
Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks for 24 hours of urine collection after your stones have been removed. This is because it evaluates how much urine is produced in a normal day and measures the chemicals and minerals present in the urine.
Again, if there is too little liquid and too many minerals, both can easily lead to stone formation.
Prevention
If you have experienced kidney stones before, there is a high chance that you will develop them again, unless you try to prevent them.
“People who develop one stone have a 50% risk of developing another stone within five to seven years,” explains NKF.
Here are a few things Anyone You can prevent the development of kidney stones:
Improves blood sugar levels
It’s easier than you say, but that’s the most shocking thing you can do to protect your kidneys – not to mention the rest of your body. If you work with your healthcare team to lower your blood sugar levels to a healthy range, you will continue to fight against uric acid kidney stones.
Drink more water
This is easy, but if you’re not used to drinking regular water, the pain in your kidney stones may ultimately motivate you. Skip drinks containing diet soda and other chemicals and get more Authentic I fill your body with water every day. Finally, you start desire that.
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Low pH and high acidity levels in your urine can be easily improved by eating more Vegetables and fruits. These healthy Authentic Food is important to maintain a healthy balance of blood flow and pH and acidity in the urine. As if there was another reason to eat more vegetables.
Dark green vegetables contain a large amount of calcium. This helps prevent calcium oxalate type stones.
Reduce sodium intake
“Everyone is thinking about salty potato chips and fries,” says NKF. “They should rarely be eaten. They have salty products, such as sandwich meat, canned soups, packaged meals, and even sports drinks.”
Does your diet consist of highly processed sodium-containing foods? Adding salt to the whole vegetable is not as big a problem as a diet full of these processed foods that rely on excessive sodium to give and maintain a flavour.
Look at your animal protein intake
Animal proteins have their place in human diet, excessively It can greatly increase the acidity of your blood and urine.
In fact, low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets are a common cause of ketones, as they focus on animal proteins. At the end of the day, balance.
Get enough calcium
The most common type of kidney stone is called “calcium oxalate” stone, but that doesn’t mean it is the result of eating it excessively calcium.
“Dairy products have calcium, but they actually help prevent stones, because calcium binds to oxalate before it enters the kidneys,” explains NKF.
“People with the lowest dietary calcium intake are at a higher risk of kidney stones. Stones form from salt, protein waste and potassium.”
Once again, good habits can lead to health!
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