Severest body pain

28.11.2011 | By: T. P.

Many people claim that the severest pain is caused by urinary stones. Find out more about it below.

Forget kicking in the scrotum. A small stone causes the world’s severest pain. (PhotoXpress)

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Urinary stones

Urolithiasis, or kidney stones, is one of the world’s oldest diseases. It most often develops in people aged between 18 and 45 years, and to men more often than women. It’s a hereditary disease. There are different causes, external and internal. Internal causes are physical and include hereditary diseases (e.g. tubular acidosis and cystinuria), digestion problems and anatomic changes in the urinary tract. The main external factors are temperature, moisture and eating habits. High temperatures, excessive sweating and insufficient water intake causes the development of urine that is too acid, which causes the development of stones.

What are urinary stones?

The most common stones are calcium stones, followed by uric acid stones, cystine stones, struvite stones and xantine stones. Stones can be large or tiny like sand. They appear individually and in groups in one or both kidneys. They’re usually formed in the collecting tubule of the kidney and they can also develop in the bladder in people who have an enlarged prostate. They often cause infections and the feeling that you have to pass urine all the time, and there’s also a higher risk of bladder cancer.

Renal colic

The stone that travels from the kidney thorough the urinary tract to the bladder, is one of the most unpleasant things a person can experience in life. Pain, cramps, shivers, vomiting and blood in urine are the signs of a small stone, up to 0.3 inches (8 mm) in size. Larger stones can’t enter the urinary tract and only cause a dull pain in the kidney, when you move. In the event of an attack, the person usually has to be hospitalised and at least 30% of people usually have another attack later in their life. In the worst case, the stone is trapped in the urinary tract, which hinders the normal outflow of urine from the kidneys. This can cause temporary or chronic kidney failure, which requires an immediate medical procedure.

Urine helps release 80% of stones in a natural way. Their size is usually up to 0.15 inches (4mm). However, 15% of stones larger than 0.2 inches (6mm) also pass spontaneously, but stones that are 0.3 inches (8 mm) in size pass very rarely. Treatment takes place outside the body. Namely, stones are crushed with shock waves and then released in a natural way. Some stones have to be surgically removed, especially if the cause is an anatomic abnormality of the urinary system. Urate stones (uric acid) can be melted by taking a drug that changes the pH value of urine. At the same time, the reason why stones have developed is determined. In addition to a urologist, you can also see an endocrinologist or nephrologist.

The best preventive action is your behaviour. Water intake is vital, particularly in summer months. The easiest way to assess whether or not you drink enough water is to look at your urine. It has to be colourless or light yellow and without a strong smell. A person produces approximately 5.3 pints (2.5l) of urine. It’s also very important what kind of water you drink. The water containing a sufficient amount of calcium (less hard and nard water) and bottled mineral water reduce the development and growth of urinary stones (Kapš, 1999). It’s the water containing small amounts of minerals, i.e. bottled distilled water containing no minerals, that can be problematic. An appropriate diet, the manner of eating and lots of exercise also have a beneficial effect on your body.