Urinary stones and dangerous complications

In the pathology of the urinary tract, urolithiasis is one of the serious diseases, complications of the disease can lead to kidney failure, nephritis, disorders of the urinary system and even death.

The pain caused by urolithiasis also reduces the productivity and quality of life of patients. There are many different ways to treat this discomfort.

How is urolithiasis formed?

The formation of urinary stones (urinary tract) has many causes, so far two people have identified the main factors forming urinary stone are intrinsic factors and through eating.

Urinary system in the body.(Photo: TTO)

An abnormal increase in calcium levels in the blood is an important cause of urolithiasis. Hypercalcemia may be due to the appearance of tumors in the thyroid gland that cause calcium metabolism disorders. It is also possible that bone excreted too much calcium into the blood due to complex fractures, due to chronic inflammation, elevated calcium calcium accompanied by increased urinary calcium, thus becoming an agent for stone formation.

Like salts dissolved in urine, normal components of gravel are dissolved in the urine, but if the following factors are present, the components of the gravel are not dissolved and gradually become stones, that is: they are supersaturated in urine because their concentrations are too high, crystalline factors appear, crystals have the opportunity to agglomerate, condense into a mass.

Normally, in order to prevent the formation of crystallization of gravel, in addition to the strength of urine flow, there is also a substance that binds to the crystals in the urine, but when it is reduced, often due to inflammation, the ability of the crystals to increase. Other intrinsic factors increase stone formation due to prolonged urinary obstruction, decreased urine capacity, and urine environment favorable to the appearance of crystals.

Common types of urolithiasis are inorganic stones such as calcium, phosphate, oxalate, and organic gravel, which are urat and xanthin stones, rare in the form of ceptin.

Complications of urolithiasis

Urinary stones often appear in areas where weak urine or urinary tract is too small, meandering, narrowing or obstruction, so the sites with stones are usually kidneys, lower ureters or close to the bladder, bladder neck, Urethra, flute.

The movement of gravel, especially the spiky gravel will rub, touch the urinary tract, causing back pain, urination if the kidney stones and ureters. If the gravel in the bladder or urethra will cause dysuria, peeing and difficulty urinating. If trapped in the stem stalk of the kidney, the gravel will squeeze the stubble to block the kidneys, so the kidneys dilate, the kidney gradually dilates like a water bag.

When the kidneys become stagnant with urine, high pressure is exerted on the kidney nerves and the kidneys cause kidney pain. When stones are stuck in the urethra or in the bladder, acute or chronic urinary retention will occur.

When gravel rubs on the urinary tract, the mucosa is easily edema, inflammation, is a good condition for bacteria to enter, causing urinary tract infections. The patient will see back pain, peeing, peeing, cloudy. If severe infections lead to serious consequences such as kidney failure. If comprehensive pus kidneys may require removal of the kidney. Urinary obstruction that backs up urine causing long-term infection will lead to fibrosis into urinary tract including kidney. The consequences of fibrosis will lead to a decrease in the function of urinary tract contractions, narrowing of the urinary blockage, urine retention. This is a dangerous vicious cycle that urolithiasis causes.

In addition, severe infections in the urinary tract also cause urinary tract necrosis, fistula appear in the bladder, ureters. There have been cases of kidney rupture and bladder rupture due to stones. The long-term presence of stones results in anuria (no urine) or impaired renal function, especially when a combination of inflammation causes kidney failure.

How to prevent and manage urolithiasis?

First of all need to reduce the risk of urolithiasis formation, that is to drink enough water (from 1.5 to 2 liters of water / day). People who need to take oral medication need to drink enough water. Early detection and treatment of other causes (in addition to stones) causes urinary tract infections and stagnant urine. When you see signs of peeing, you need to go to the doctor for timely detection.

Currently, with modern treatment techniques, urolithiasis has many suitable measures to treat. Depending on the different types of stones, the stones should be treated by using stones to dissolve stones or laparoscopic surgery, and extracorporeal lithotripsy. Only cases of gravel are too big to open, but the implementation process is quite safe. In addition to the central hospitals with good treatment measures, many provincial and city hospitals can also handle this disease well.

Doctor Nguyen Quoc Vinh