Kidney stones are small, hard deposits which form in the kidneys. Kidney stones may develop due to a host of reasons and can affect any part of the urinary system. Passing kidney stones is exceedingly painful, but they fortunately do not cause any permanent damage.
Unlike the other kidney stones, struvite stones form by waste products of bacteria during a urinary tract infection.
Symptoms Of Struvite Kidney Stones
By and large, kidney stones may not produce any signs and symptoms at all until they move around in the urinary tract. Common manifestations include:
- Excruciating pain in the lower back.
- Pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
- Pain fluctuates in intensity and location – it will shift to a different site or increase in intensity as it moves through the urinary tract.
- Burning and itching whilst urinating.
- Urine is red – brown.
- Cloudy, offensive urine.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Constant, frequent urge to pass urine.
- Fever and chills.
- Blood in the urine.
Causes Of Struvite Kidney Stones
Struvite urinary stones form in the urine that has been infected with ammonia synthesizing organisms. This gets further potentiated by alkaline urine and a high level of excretion of magnesium. Struvite precipitates in alkaline urine, forming stones.
Bacterial infection which hydrolyzes urea to ammonia and increases the pH of the urine to neutral or alkaline values is the chief causative factor. Urea splitting microbes are – bordetella, proteus, mycobacterium, pseudomonas, staphyococcus and mycoplasm.
Treatment Options For Struvite Kidney Stones
- Drinking water:Drinking 3 to 4 liters of water per day helps flush out the urinary tract. The stones get sluiced out of the system successfully. Also, have plenty of herbal teas, broths and soups.
- Pain relievers:Passing a small stone causes some discomfort and pain. To relieve the pain, your doctor may recommend pain relievers.
- Antibiotics: The mainstay of struvite stones management is antibiotic treatment. Your health care provider will ask you to carry out a few tests and investigations to ascertain the exact microbe which is causing your problem; based on that, you will be given the most suitable antibiotic to get rid of the offending microbe.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C boosts quick healing and recovery. Talk to your health care provider and start a supplement.
- Homeopathy drugs are effective for the management of struvite stones. Confer with a practicing homeopath and start treatment promptly; it helps allay the symptoms associated with renal stones quickly. Commonly prescribed drugs are Lyocpodium Clavatum, Berberis, Apis Mellifica, Arnica and Nitric Acid.
- Medical therapy:Your doctor will give you an alpha blocker; this relaxes the muscles in the ureter, and helps the kidney stone pass through more quickly and with lesser pain.
Kidney stones that can’t be treated with conservative measures because they are too big to pass out on their own or if they are likely to cause bleeding, impairment to the kidneys or ongoing urinary tract infections need extensive treatment. Procedures may include:
- Using sound waves to break up stones: Your doctor may recommend a procedure called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
- Surgical intervention: Surgery is advised in really big kidney stones which can be not be treated with conservative methods.