Urine is known to include a wide variety of dissolved salts and minerals. Stones can form in your urinary tract if your urine contains high concentrations of certain minerals and salts. Stones in the kidney may begin as relatively minor deposits. But as they increase, they may eventually fill the interior hollow structures of the kidney. Some stones pass through the kidney without causing complications, and others remain there.
What is the Urinary tract?
Urinary tracts are a group of organs that work together to produce urine and expel it from the body.
● The urinary tract can be broken down into two distinct sections.
● The kidneys and ureters are both considered to be a part of the upper urinary tract.
● The urethra and the bladder are both components of the lower urinary system.
Urine is produced when the kidneys filter out waste and excess fluid in circulation. Urine travels from the kidneys to the bladder via the ureters after being made in the kidneys. It is held there until it is released through the urethra. At this point, it is expelled from the body.
What is a urinary tract infection?
An infection in any portion of the urinary system is referred to as a urinary tract infection (often abbreviated as UTI).
● Most urinary tract infections affect the lower urinary tract. It includes the bladder, ureters and urethra.
● It happens when germs like bacteria can get past the body’s defences in the urinary tract and cause an infection.
Are kidney stones and UTIs connected?
The economic impact of kidney stone disease (also known as KSD) is significant, and its prevalence is growing.
● The presence of bacteria in the urinary tract is one of the many factors that might lead to the production of stones.
● Other causes include urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by bacteria. It produces urease that can contribute to the production of struvite stones. The stones are also known as magnesium ammonium phosphate.
Can a kidney stone cause UTI?
It is unknown if bacteria play a role in forming calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate stones. They are the most prevalent types of rocks. Over the last few decades, evidence has accumulated to indicate the existence of a connection.
● Bacteria have been extracted from calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones by several different researchers.
● In addition, the sequencing of material taken from five stones. Four of them were calcium oxalate, revealing the presence of DNA from various bacterial strains.
Also Read: Symptoms and Causes of Kidney Stones
How long can kidney stones stay in your UTI?
A kidney stone can sit there for years or even decades without triggering symptoms or causing organ damage. Even if your calcium, oxalate, cystine, and uric acid levels are normal, you still risk developing kidney stones. This can occur mainly if you do not produce a lot of urine (e.g., not drinking enough fluids).
● The substances aggregate into tiny crystals lodged in the kidney. There they grow in size and eventually coalesce as a kidney stones.
● In most cases, the stone will ultimately make its way through the urinary tract and be expelled from the body along with the urine.
● If a stone becomes lodged and prevents urine from draining normally, the patient may experience pain.
● Large rocks may not usually pass on their own. To remove them, it is occasionally necessary to perform a technique that is only slightly invasive.
How do I know if I have a UTI?
The following is a list of possible symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI):
● When I go to pee, I experience pain or a burning feeling (dysuria)
● Having the desire to urinate more frequently than is typical throughout the night (nocturia)
● Pee that is cloudy, dark, or smells strong, needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than average, or needing to pee more often than normal
● Pain in the lower abdomen or pain in the back, just under the ribs, high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery at a shallow temperature below 36C, needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than average, needing to pee more often than normal blood in your pee lower tummy pain or pain in the back, just under the ribs a very low.
Children who have UTIs are more likely to also:
Have a high temperature – your child will feel hotter than usual if you touch their neck, back, or stomach. Have general symptoms of illness – your child will look to be in poor health overall. Irritability is common in infants and early children, and they may also refuse to eat or not eat enough, wet the bed or wet themselves, or get sick.
Do UTIs lead to kidney damage?
In most cases, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are successfully treatable and do not lead to kidney damage.
● UTIs that are brought on by conditions such as an enlarged prostate gland (in males) or a kidney stone can cause harm to the kidneys if the underlying condition is not treated and the infection is allowed to persist.
● In young children, UTIs accompanied by high fevers can cause damage to the kidneys if they are not treated as soon as possible.
If you are also seeing these symptoms all over your body then you need to contact and consult with a Dr like Dr Ankit Kayal, Book your appointment with him now.