Tag Archives: kidney stones

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney (Renal) Failure

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , , ,

We take our kidneys for granted. They are truly remarkable organs. In this Straight, No Chaser, we will review kidney function and explain kidney failure. Additional posts will address treatment of kidney failure, including dialysis and kidney transplantation. A review of kidney stones is available in an earlier Straight, No Chaser.

KidneyFailure

You probably know that the kidneys are key to the body removing waste and excess fluids and minerals. You may not have been aware of just how efficient your two kidneys are: they filter the body’s entire blood supply every thirty minutes. In fact, they are so efficient that you can lose one and still be able to have normal overall function. Healthy kidneys also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

   kidney

Damaged kidneys and kidney failure are pretty simple to understand. When the kidneys aren’t working properly, there are consequences to those wastes and that excess fluid accumulating throughout the body. Blood pressure may rise, as the heart has more fluid to pump around the body. Your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells.
There are three considerations for you to understand when discussing kidney failure: acute kidney failure, chronic kidney failure and end-stage kidney failure.

kidney-failure causes

Acute kidney failure is the result of an active event such as the following:

  • an abrupt drop in the blood supply to the kidneys
  • obstruction
  • physical trauma
  • severe infection
  • use of certain drugs

If the underlying problem causing acute kidney failure is sufficiently treated, complete recovery of the kidneys is possible.
Chronic kidney failure occurs over years and can be the consequence of many processes, including uncontrolled diabetes, drug use or hypertension. It can cause anemia (low blood cell count), decreased mental sharpness, fatigue, headaches, muscle twitches and cramps, nausea and vomiting, , trouble sleeping, unusual itching and weight loss and a yellowish-brown skin color.
End-stage kidney disease represents such a level of dysfunction that your life could be at risk without appropriate attention being given to your disease. It causes or exacerbates anemia, high blood pressure, bone disease, heart failure, and poor mental functioning.

Kidney-Failure-chronic

The kidneys are pretty good at displaying signs of distress if you’re willing to pay attention. See your physician if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms:

  • pain or burning when you urinate,
  • frequent urges to urinate,
  • urine that is cloudy or dark,
  • fever or a feeling of shakiness along with back pain, or
  • pain in your back or side below your ribs that does not go away.

As mentioned, avoidance of illicit drugs, taking prescribed medicines as directed, and treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes can help prevent kidney disease.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis)

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , , , ,

In the emergency room setting, women are vicious when it comes to how men handle pain. It’s really humorous to see the female nurses’ attitudes change when a large or otherwise studly man crumbles at the notion of receiving an injection or having an IV line started. I’m pretty comfortable saying without fear of being biased that women in general hold the upper hand on men in the pain game. As only a few thousand of them have told me over the years, “Until men start having babies, you’ll never experience what we go through and can tolerate.”
Actually, that’s not true, or at least the women who populate the emergency rooms I’ve frequented have started changing their stories. It appears that the pain of a kidney stone is on par with or greater than the pain of childbirth, according to a large majority of the female patients with whom I’ve discussed this.
Kidney stones are among a few diagnoses that an emergency physician can just walk into a room and diagnosis to a high degree of medical certainty within seconds. (Don’t try this at home, because it’s about more than just the pain.) Once you’ve had one, you’ll go out of your way to avoid another one, which is another way of saying you should avoid them in the first place. Here are some questions and answers about kidney stones to steer you away from getting them and toward treatment if you do.

 kidney_stone_s6_treatment

What are they and how do I get them?
Kidney stones are hard, solid particles that congregate in the kidney and proceed down the urinary system with the intention of being eliminated through your urine. Too often (meaning even once) they become lodged somewhere along the way. It’s amazing how much trouble they cause, given their size. The overwhelming majority of them are smaller than the blacks in the center of your eyes (your pupils).
There is a pretty impressive variety of ways that someone can get stones, but here are some simple considerations that increase the probability of getting a kidney stone.

  • You have a family history of kidney stones.
  • You have frequent and recurrent urinary tract (“bladder”) infections.
  • You have an existing blockage of your urinary tract.
  • You have various medical conditions that alter substances in your urine. (Stones are most often causes by excessively high levels of calcium, oxalate and phosphorous in your urine. These substances aren’t likely to cause problems at regular levels. Conditions that increase these levels increase the risk of stones.)
  • You eat certain foods that are high in sodium or animal protein.
  • You are obese or are gaining weight.
  • You don’t drink enough fluid.
  • You take certain medication (those that increase those substances mentioned earlier).

kidney-stone-pain-areas

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may not be present, depending on the size of the stone. However, when symptoms are present, they’re typically severe.

  • You may have a sharp pain in (most typically) one side of your back or abdomen, between the level of your chest and hips.
  • You may have blood in your urine.
  • You may have pain while urinating.
  • You may nausea and vomiting associated with these pains.

 kidney-stone

How are they treated?
There’s no uniform treatment for kidney stones. In the short-term (i.e., a presentation to your doctor’s office or an emergency room), your pain and vomiting will be addressed. Dependent on the size and composition of your stones, or based on the effects the stones are having on your body, the stones may be broken up or removed by a specialist.
How are they prevented?
Knowing your risks and making adjustments in your diet are important steps to preventing and avoiding kidney stones. Staying hydrated is perhaps the one step you can take most easily to get the biggest yield.
What else do you want us to know?
If you have a history of kidney stones or certain other conditions (e.g., migraines and certain types of abdominal pain), you run the risk of becoming comfortable (figuratively speaking) with your symptoms. What I mean by this is sometimes the diagnosis of kidney stones is incorrect, even if you have a history of kidney stones. Unfortunately, in this example, the consequences can be deadly. More to follow…
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney (Renal) Failure

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , , ,

We take our kidneys for granted. They are truly remarkable organs. In this Straight, No Chaser, we will review kidney function and explain kidney failure. Additional posts will address treatment of kidney failure, including dialysis and kidney transplantation. A review of kidney stones is available in an earlier Straight, No Chaser.

KidneyFailure

You probably know that the kidneys are key to the body removing waste and excess fluids and minerals. You may not have been aware of just how efficient your two kidneys are: they filter the body’s entire blood supply every thirty minutes. In fact, they are so efficient that you can lose one and still be able to have normal overall function. Healthy kidneys also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

   kidney

Damaged kidneys and kidney failure are pretty simple to understand. When the kidneys aren’t working properly, there are consequences to those wastes and that excess fluid accumulating throughout the body. Blood pressure may rise, as the heart has more fluid to pump around the body. Your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells.
There are three considerations for you to understand when discussing kidney failure: acute kidney failure, chronic kidney failure and end-stage kidney failure.

kidney-failure causes

Acute kidney failure is the result of an active event such as the following:

  • an abrupt drop in the blood supply to the kidneys
  • obstruction
  • physical trauma
  • severe infection
  • use of certain drugs

If the underlying problem causing acute kidney failure is sufficiently treated, complete recovery of the kidneys is possible.
Chronic kidney failure occurs over years and can be the consequence of many processes, including uncontrolled diabetes, drug use or hypertension. It can cause anemia (low blood cell count), decreased mental sharpness, fatigue, headaches, muscle twitches and cramps, nausea and vomiting, , trouble sleeping, unusual itching and weight loss and a yellowish-brown skin color.
End-stage kidney disease represents such a level of dysfunction that your life could be at risk without appropriate attention being given to your disease. It causes or exacerbates anemia, high blood pressure, bone disease, heart failure, and poor mental functioning.

Kidney-Failure-chronic

The kidneys are pretty good at displaying signs of distress if you’re willing to pay attention. See your physician if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms:

  • pain or burning when you urinate,
  • frequent urges to urinate,
  • urine that is cloudy or dark,
  • fever or a feeling of shakiness along with back pain, or
  • pain in your back or side below your ribs that does not go away.

As mentioned, avoidance of illicit drugs, taking prescribed medicines as directed, and treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes can help prevent kidney disease.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis)

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , , , ,

In the emergency room setting, women are vicious when it comes to how men handle pain. It’s really humorous to see the female nurses’ attitudes change when a large or otherwise studly man crumbles at the notion of receiving an injection or having an IV line started. I’m pretty comfortable saying without fear of being biased that women in general hold the upper hand on men in the pain game. As only a few thousand of them have told me over the years, “Until men start having babies, you’ll never experience what we go through and can tolerate.”
Actually, that’s not true, or at least the women who populate the emergency rooms I’ve frequented have started changing their stories. It appears that the pain of a kidney stone is on par with or greater than the pain of childbirth, according to a large majority of the female patients with whom I’ve discussed this.
Kidney stones are among a few diagnoses that an emergency physician can just walk into a room and diagnosis to a high degree of medical certainty within seconds. (Don’t try this at home, because it’s about more than just the pain.) Once you’ve had one, you’ll go out of your way to avoid another one, which is another way of saying you should avoid them in the first place. Here are some questions and answers about kidney stones to steer you away from getting them and toward treatment if you do.

 kidney_stone_s6_treatment

What are they and how do I get them?
Kidney stones are hard, solid particles that congregate in the kidney and proceed down the urinary system with the intention of being eliminated through your urine. Too often (meaning even once) they become lodged somewhere along the way. It’s amazing how much trouble they cause, given their size. The overwhelming majority of them are smaller than the blacks in the center of your eyes (your pupils).
There is a pretty impressive variety of ways that someone can get stones, but here are some simple considerations that increase the probability of getting a kidney stone.

  • You have a family history of kidney stones.
  • You have frequent and recurrent urinary tract (“bladder”) infections.
  • You have an existing blockage of your urinary tract.
  • You have various medical conditions that alter substances in your urine. (Stones are most often causes by excessively high levels of calcium, oxalate and phosphorous in your urine. These substances aren’t likely to cause problems at regular levels. Conditions that increase these levels increase the risk of stones.)
  • You eat certain foods that are high in sodium or animal protein.
  • You are obese or are gaining weight.
  • You don’t drink enough fluid.
  • You take certain medication (those that increase those substances mentioned earlier).

kidney-stone-pain-areas

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may not be present, depending on the size of the stone. However, when symptoms are present, they’re typically severe.

  • You may have a sharp pain in (most typically) one side of your back or abdomen, between the level of your chest and hips.
  • You may have blood in your urine.
  • You may have pain while urinating.
  • You may nausea and vomiting associated with these pains.

 kidney-stone

How are they treated?
There’s no uniform treatment for kidney stones. In the short-term (i.e., a presentation to your doctor’s office or an emergency room), your pain and vomiting will be addressed. Dependent on the size and composition of your stones, or based on the effects the stones are having on your body, the stones may be broken up or removed by a specialist.
How are they prevented?
Knowing your risks and making adjustments in your diet are important steps to preventing and avoiding kidney stones. Staying hydrated is perhaps the one step you can take most easily to get the biggest yield.
What else do you want us to know?
If you have a history of kidney stones or certain other conditions (e.g., migraines and certain types of abdominal pain), you run the risk of becoming comfortable (figuratively speaking) with your symptoms. What I mean by this is sometimes the diagnosis of kidney stones is incorrect, even if you have a history of kidney stones. Unfortunately, in this example, the consequences can be deadly. More to follow…
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney (Renal) Failure

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , ,

We take our kidneys for granted. They are truly remarkable organs. In this Straight, No Chaser, we will review kidney function and explain kidney failure. Additional posts will address treatment of kidney failure, including dialysis and kidney transplantation. A review of kidney stones is available in an earlier Straight, No Chaser.

KidneyFailure

You probably know that the kidneys are key to the body removing waste and excess fluids and minerals. You may not have been aware of just how efficient your two kidneys are: they filter the body’s entire blood supply every thirty minutes. In fact, they are so efficient that you can lose one and still be able to have normal overall function. Healthy kidneys also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

   kidney

Damaged kidneys and kidney failure are pretty simple to understand. When the kidneys aren’t working properly, there are consequences to those wastes and that excess fluid accumulating throughout the body. Blood pressure may rise, as the heart has more fluid to pump around the body. Your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells.
There are three considerations for you to understand when discussing kidney failure: acute kidney failure, chronic kidney failure and end-stage kidney failure.

kidney-failure causes

Acute kidney failure is the result of an active event such as the following:

  • an abrupt drop in the blood supply to the kidneys
  • obstruction
  • physical trauma
  • severe infection
  • use of certain drugs

If the underlying problem causing acute kidney failure is sufficiently treated, complete recovery of the kidneys is possible.
Chronic kidney failure occurs over years and can be the consequence of many processes, including uncontrolled diabetes, drug use or hypertension. It can cause anemia (low blood cell count), decreased mental sharpness, fatigue, headaches, muscle twitches and cramps, nausea and vomiting, , trouble sleeping, unusual itching and weight loss and a yellowish-brown skin color.
End-stage kidney disease represents such a level of dysfunction that your life could be at risk without appropriate attention being given to your disease. It causes or exacerbates anemia, high blood pressure, bone disease, heart failure, and poor mental functioning.

Kidney-Failure-chronic

The kidneys are pretty good at displaying signs of distress if you’re willing to pay attention. See your physician if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms:

  • pain or burning when you urinate,
  • frequent urges to urinate,
  • urine that is cloudy or dark,
  • fever or a feeling of shakiness along with back pain, or
  • pain in your back or side below your ribs that does not go away.

As mentioned, avoidance of illicit drugs, taking prescribed medicines as directed, and treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes can help prevent kidney disease.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress.

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis)

Genital/Urinary, , , , , , , , , ,

In the ER setting, women are vicious when it comes to how men handle pain. It’s really humorous to see the female nurses’ attitudes change when a large or otherwise studly man crumbles at the notion of receiving an injection or having an IV line started. I’m pretty comfortable saying without fear of being biased that women in general hold the upper hand on men in the pain game. As only a few thousand of them have told me over the years, “Until men start having babies, you’ll never experience what we go through and can tolerate.”
Actually, that’s not true, or at least the women who populate the emergency rooms I’ve frequented have started changing their stories. It appears that the pain of a kidney stone is on par with or greater than the pain of childbirth, according to a large majority of the female patients with whom I’ve discussed this.
Kidney stones are among a few diagnoses that an emergency physician can just walk into a room and diagnosis to a high degree of medical certainty within seconds. (Don’t try this at home, because it’s about more than just the pain.) Once you’ve had one, you’ll go out of your way to avoid another one, which is another way of saying you should avoid them in the first place. Here are some questions and answers about kidney stones to steer you away from getting them and toward treatment if you do.

 kidney_stone_s6_treatment

What are they and how do I get them?
Kidney stones are hard, solid particles that congregate in the kidney and proceed down the urinary system with the intention of being eliminated through your urine. Too often (meaning even once) they become lodged somewhere along the way. It’s amazing how much trouble they cause, given their size. The overwhelming majority of them are smaller than the blacks in the center of your eyes (your pupils).
There is a pretty impressive variety of ways that someone can get stones, but here are some simple considerations that increase the probability of getting a kidney stone.

  • You have a family history of kidney stones.
  • You have frequent and recurrent urinary tract (“bladder”) infections.
  • You have an existing blockage of your urinary tract.
  • You have various medical conditions that alter substances in your urine. (Stones are most often causes by excessively high levels of calcium, oxalate and phosphorous in your urine. These substances aren’t likely to cause problems at regular levels. Conditions that increase these levels increase the risk of stones.)
  • You eat certain foods that are high in sodium or animal protein.
  • You are obese or are gaining weight.
  • You don’t drink enough fluid.
  • You take certain medication (those that increase those substances mentioned earlier).

kidney-stone-pain-areas

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may not be present, depending on the size of the stone. However, when symptoms are present, they’re typically severe.

  • You may have a sharp pain in (most typically) one side of your back or abdomen, between the level of your chest and hips.
  • You may have blood in your urine.
  • You may have pain while urinating.
  • You may nausea and vomiting associated with these pains.

 kidney-stone

How are they treated?
There’s no uniform treatment for kidney stones. In the short-term (i.e., a presentation to your doctor’s office or an emergency room), your pain and vomiting will be addressed. Dependent on the size and composition of your stones, or based on the effects the stones are having on your body, the stones may be broken up or removed by a specialist.
How are they prevented?
Knowing your risks and making adjustments in your diet are important steps to preventing and avoiding kidney stones. Staying hydrated is perhaps the one step you can take most easily to get the biggest yield.
What else do you want us to know?
If you have a history of kidney stones or certain other conditions (e.g., migraines and certain types of abdominal pain), you run the risk of becoming comfortable (figuratively speaking) with your symptoms. What I mean by this is sometimes the diagnosis of kidney stones is incorrect, even if you have a history of kidney stones. Unfortunately, in this example, the consequences can be deadly. More to follow…

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA). Enjoy some of our favorite posts and frequently asked questions as well as a daily note explaining the benefits of SMA membership. Please share our page with your Friends on WordPress, on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress