More Water, No Pain

From the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 16 percent of the 3 million people who require medical attention per year people suffer from kidney stone problems.

A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances we digest that show up in the urine. 

WebMD says most stones leave the kidney and travel through the urinary tract when they are still small enough to pass easily out of the body. No treatment is needed for these stones. But if it is bigger, the stone will stretch the tract as it passes which will cause the pain.

Also from the NIDDKD, a kidney stone can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a pearl, but in rare occasions they can grow to be as big as a golf ball.

Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It also may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain.

Also from the NIDDKD, stones occur more frequently in men. The occurrence of kidney stones rises dramatically as men enter their 40s and continue to rise into their 70s. For women, the prevalence of kidney stones peaks in their 50s.

Mount Saint Joseph High School teacher Mike O’Donnell has passed a kidney stone in the past year.

“It took about 20 minutes or so to pass and it was very painful,” said O’Donnell. He said he had never experienced something so painful in his life.

There are five different types of kidney stones. This information, as well, comes from the NIDDKD.

Calcium oxalate stones are the most common. They tend to form when the urine is acidic, a low pH. Some of the oxalate in urine is produced by the body. Dietary oxalate is an organic molecule found in many vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

Calcium phosphate stones are less common. Calcium phosphate stones tend to form when the urine is alkaline, meaning it has a high pH.

Uric acid stones are more likely to form when the urine is persistently acidic, which may result from a diet rich in animal proteins and purines-substances found naturally in all food but especially in organ meats, fish, and shellfish.

Dime, Average Sized Kidney Stone, Safety Pin

Struvite stones result from infections in the kidney. Preventing struvite stones depends on staying infection free. Diet has not been shown to affect struvite stone formation.

Cystine stones result from a rare genetic disorder that causes cystine-an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein—to leak through the kidneys and into the urine to form crystals.

Local nurse, Elaine Johnson says that she has worked closely with patients who have needed medical assistance and guidance on their situations involving kidney stone.

“[Kidney stones] are organic material from your body. They’re hard, they go through your body from your bladder and they hurt,” Johnson said. “I’ve never had one but I heard it’s very painful.”

Once a person has passed more than one stone, other stones are likely to develop in time. A very simple solution can be performed to make sure this does not happen.

A way to prevent from having to experience the passing of a kidney stone, one must make perform one simple task.

“Because I don’t encourage taking medication to dissolve the stones, I encourage everyone to drink more water,” Johnson said. “It’s as natural as it gets.”

Water is the most pure substance that is edible. It is inexpensive and the most natural of beverages that are the easiest to come by.

Water can be taken into the body and it will filter your body system. Drinking water cleans and clears out your body and definitely does not leave any substances like colas or energy drinks may as well do.

Anthony Swain, a lifeguard at a Fort Meade pool, has had his experience with passing a kidney stone. Every day when he comes in to work at the pool, he is never seen with any drink other than water.

“Having a monster [energy drink], red bull, or five hour energy raises your chances of passing a kidney stone,” said Swain.

The minimum amount of water that an average person must drink per day is 8-10 glasses per day. This is best in order to lower the chances of having to pass a kidney stone. The best thing to do is to bring a refillable bottle with you wherever you go.

“Every day, I bring in my eco-friendly reusable water bottle into class with me,” said O’Donnell. “Other than my morning coffee, water is basically all I drink nowadays ever since my experience.”