The pain you can’t ignore
URINARY tract stones are crystals that form in the urinary tract and may cause pain, bleeding, infection or obstruct urine flow. Depending on where a stone is located in the urinary tract, it may be called a kidney stone, ureteral stone or bladder stone.
Consultant urologist at Ara Damansara
Medical Centre
Dr Sivaprakasam Sivalingam says urinary stones can present symptomatically or asymptomatically. Most people will seek medical attention when they notice symptoms such as pain or a burning sensation when urinating, blood in the urine or incidental presence of blood in their urine test when they undergo a general health checkup. Urinary tract stones can affect anyone regardless of age or gender. However, Dr Sivaprakasam explains that the causation differs between adults and children. Stones that form in children are because of metabolic diseases, congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract or recurrent infections of the urinary tract. Unfortunately for adults, it can be more complicated as there is no specific cause or risk factor in the occurrence of a stone.
Because of this, advising patients on prevention is a challenge as there are no identifiable risk factors for adults. He says, “We will give our patients general health advice, such as staying well hydrated, reducing their salt and dietary protein intake, especially animal protein, as opposed to specific measures geared towards preventing the development of urinary tract stones.”
Improvements over time
While urinary tract stones are not considered a major priority for the health services, complications can occur if treatment is delayed. Dr Sivaprakasam categorises these complications into early, intermediate and late stages. “Symptomatic stones generally present early with complications such as recurring intermittent pain even after taking painkillers and the presence of blood in the urine. If left to grow to a size that obstructs urine flow from the
kidney, it may then trigger an infection in the urinary tract. In the long term, if medical treatment is withheld or delayed, the patient might lose the function of that kidney.”
In the past, Dr Sivaprakasam says it was common for medical doctors to see patients with kidney failure caused by kidney stones. This is because those patients either neglected to get themselves checked or were reluctant in undergoing treatment after being diagnosed. Fortunately, he has observed a large decline of such cases and provides a few reasons.
“Compared with the past, we now have access to treated water. Because of improving socioeconomic standards and education, members of the public are seeking medical attention early when they recognise a symptom instead of ignoring it. I think this is a positive global phenomenon where access to media motivates us to be more inquisitive about our health and surroundings.”
Reducing your chances
Urinary tract stones still do develop and need to be paid attention to. While most doctors focus on treatment instead of preventative measures because of the vague causation and risk factors, you can take steps to reduce your chances of developing kidney stones.
Dr Sivaprakasam says, “The most important thing is to stay well hydrated, because the more hydrated you are, the more diluted the urine you produce. This reduces the probability of crystallisation in the urine. When you consume fluids more frequently, you will also pass urine more frequently. Regular fluid movement prevents the aggregation of salt crystals and eventual formation of stones through stasis.
Therefore, unless you have a medical reason for not drinking too much water, such as kidney or heart failure, it is recommended that adults aim to drink at least two litres of water a day and monitor their urine colour to gauge their level of hydration.”
For more information, call 03-5639 1212.