One of the common ailments of the urinary system is urolithiasis, in which a kidney stone forms. Symptoms in men for a long time may not appear at all. Most patients are not even suspected of having an ailment. But if he makes himself felt, then a person experiences a number of painful sensations. Most often, it is in the representatives of the stronger sex that kidney stones are observed. Symptoms (in men, as a rule, they are more pronounced) and treatment methods for the disease will be considered in more detail in our review.
Disease characteristics
The process of formation of stones in the kidneys, urinary tract or bladder is referred to by official medicine as urolithiasis, or urolithiasis. An ailment can occur in a person at any age. But most often diagnosed in patients 30-60 years old. Consider why kidney stones form in men? The causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease require a detailed study.
The kidneys are paired bean-shaped organs located in the abdominal cavity. They perform vital functions: they are responsible for the removal of toxins and waste from the blood. But sometimes harmful substances are not completely excreted. Such wastes begin to accumulate and form crystals. If these solids settle in the kidneys, then the patient is diagnosed with kidney stone disease.
Calculi do not appear immediately. Their education takes months, and sometimes years. A favorable environment for the appearance of stones is a high concentration of salts and protein in the urine, which is observed during failures in the functioning of the renal system.
Initially, calculi are small in size, and, as a rule, are of protein origin. They become the frame on which the stones are formed. Small stones can go out on their own during urination. But if the stone is fixed in the kidney, then it begins to "grow" with new deposits of salts. In this case, it grows and can reach large sizes.
Calculi can be of different types. Often stones are made up of calcium. But may include amino acids (proteins) or uric acid. In most cases, stones having a mixed composition are observed.
The main types of stones
- calcium and oxalate;
- phosphate;
- cystine (protein);
- urate (from uric acid);
- stones containing magnesium;
- mixed.
Most often, mixed kidney stones are observed. Symptoms, treatment and causes of calculi are considered in more detail.
The main sources of the disease
Until today, it is not known for certain, as a result of which kidney stones are formed in men. Symptoms, causes, treatment continue to be studied by doctors. This made it possible to identify several sources leading to the appearance of calculi.
Doctors say that the main triggering factor is a genetic predisposition. It is noted: if the patient's relatives suffered from kidney stones, then the patient is highly likely to develop an ailment.
The innate mechanism for the appearance of pathology is as follows. Even insignificant metabolic disturbances lead to the deposition of insoluble salts, from which calculi subsequently form. But exogenous and endogenous factors play a large role in their formation.
Internal causes are dictated by interruptions in metabolic processes, as a result of which high concentrations are observed in the urine:
- uric acid;
- oxalates;
- phosphates;
- calcium salts.
In addition, an increased concentration of uric acid is also observed in the blood.
External causes provoke such violations:
- microflora features;
- poor water quality;
- malnutrition;
- insufficient fluid intake;
- adverse climate.
In addition, considering why kidney stones occur, symptoms, treatment, factors that provoke their formation, it is necessary to say about indirect causes. Calculi are often diagnosed in women whose work involves a sedentary lifestyle. In men, harmful production becomes hazardous.
An important role in the deposition of kidney stones is malnutrition. Doctors say that the ailment is often based on a deficiency in the consumption of vitamins A, B and the abuse of foods rich in:
- Vitamin C
- proteins;
- oxalic acid;
- calcium
- with salt.
The development of pathology can provoke concomitant diseases :
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- gastrointestinal tract disorders;
- infectious ailments;
- pathology of the biliary tract;
- liver disease;
- immune ailments;
- severe injuries that limit mobility.
A fairly common cause of stone formation in men is prostatitis.
Symptoms of the disease
Many people do not even suspect that they have formed a kidney stone. Symptoms in men, for example, may be absent for a long time. Sometimes a pathology is detected by chance during an examination of the body.
In such patients, the first clinical manifestations occur only when the calculus begins to move along the ureter. In this case, the symptoms of kidney stones depend on the size of the formation. If the calculus is small, then it is able to independently exit the body during urination. A large stone will cause many unpleasant symptoms and can only be removed surgically.
In some patients, the clinic of the disease is pronounced. Consider how kidney stones make themselves felt.
Symptoms that say about the disease:
- Pain They are strong, but unstable. The pain occurs in the lower back, gives to the abdomen, groin area. In men, it can radiate to the genitals.
- Frequent urination.
- Nausea, capable of ending in vomiting.
- Intermittent urination. Sometimes a patient can “go to the toilet” in only one, specific position.
- Turbid urine. Blood may be present in it.
- Severe discomfort and burning during urination.
Renal colic
This is one of the main clinical signs of kidney stones. Large stones cause discomfort in the lumbar region.
The following factors can provoke renal colic:
- long running or walking;
- shaking in public transport, car;
- excessive physical stress.
However, unpleasant symptoms can be caused by a number of other ailments: pancreatitis, pinched hernia, appendicitis. That is why it is important to undergo a diagnosis in a medical institution.
Symptoms of kidney stone exit in men:
- Pain. It is localized in the lumbar region and can be sharp. If the renal pelvis clogs with a large coral stone, then the pain becomes aching, dull.
- Bloating is a fairly characteristic sign indicating the presence of calculi in the kidney.
- Problem urination. In most cases, the patient often needs to "go to the toilet." If urinary retention is observed, then such a clinic indicates a blockage in the stone of the ureter.
- Pressure increase.
- The presence of blood in the urine. Symptom indicates damage to the walls of the ureter by a stone. However, it can be a sign of other serious ailments, such as a tumor of the kidney, bladder, glomerulonephritis.
- Problems with bowel movements.
- Severe dizziness caused by a sudden change in body position.
- Fever. Symptoms may indicate pyelonephritis or other inflammatory processes in the kidneys.
Pain syndromes develop with a diverse frequency. Sometimes they are observed several times during the month. Renal colic disturbs some people once every 2-3 years. Often, unpleasant symptoms last 1-2 hours. But sometimes she is able to torment the patient for a day or more, with short breaks.
Possible complications
If for a long time to ignore with such a pathology as a kidney stone, symptoms in men, and even women can develop serious consequences.
An untreated ailment can lead to the occurrence of:
- pyelonephritis;
- hydronephrosis;
- urosepsis;
- renal failure.
Such consequences sometimes develop asymptomatically. Unfortunately, some of them pose a threat to the life of the patient. So, pyelonephritis is able to provoke purulent inflammation. Hydronephrosis leads to kidney edema, which is rapidly complicated by insufficiency.
Diagnosis of the disease
Therefore, you should definitely consult a doctor if you suspect that kidney stones have formed. Symptoms in men are a serious signal that treatment is needed.
To make a diagnosis, the urologist prescribes a special examination:
- General urine analysis. It detects the number of red blood cells and gives information about urinary tract infections.
- Daily urine. Determines the state of metabolic processes that could provoke the formation of stones.
- Blood biochemistry. It determines the indicators of urea, creatine, calcium, uric acid in plasma serum.
- General blood analysis. It characterizes inflammatory processes.
- Ultrasound of the kidneys. The study allows you to obtain information about obstruction (hydronephrosis), and determines the localization of calculi in the bladder and kidneys.
- Intravenous urography, pyelography. A contrast agent is used for the examination. The analysis provides information on the exact location of the stones, their shape and size. Identifies anatomical abnormalities leading to the formation of stones.
- Radioisotope nephroscintigraphy. Gives the most accurate image of renal anatomy.
Treatment methods
If urolithiasis is diagnosed in men, symptoms and treatment should always be discussed with your doctor. No independent attempts to combat pathology in this situation should be undertaken. This is fraught with serious consequences and aggravation of an existing ailment.
There are various methods to combat the disease:
- drug therapy;
- open operations;
- nephrolithotripsy through the skin;
- distance lithotripsy;
- endoscopic surgery.
In most cases, minimally invasive methods are used. Open surgical interventions are rarely resorted to, and only in those cases where other methods of treatment are ineffective.
Drug therapy
If urolithiasis is diagnosed in men, its treatment must be carried out comprehensively.
The choice of methods to combat pathology is determined only by the doctor and depends on many factors. It:
- the location of the calculus;
- its volume, density, structure;
- ureter structure;
- the absence or presence of concomitant ailments.
A variety of medications are used to get rid of kidney stones:
- antibiotics
- antispasmodics;
- painkillers;
- drugs that promote the discharge and dissolution of calculi;
- Dietary supplements.
It should be recalled once again that self-medication is very dangerous! Medicines that ensure the passage of stones are prescribed only if the size of the stones does not exceed 5 mm, since large formations can cause blockage of the ureter and provoke renal colic.
Excellent drugs that dissolve calculi are the medicines Fitolizin and Cyston. Such medicines relax the muscle tissue of the kidneys and ureters, destroy deposits, stimulate the release of calculus in a natural way. The healing process can drag on for a long time, but it always ends with success.
It should be remembered that universal medicines that allow you to dissolve stones simply do not exist. Each medicine has an effect on a certain type of calculus - alkaline or acidic. That is why it is very important to undergo a diagnosis and take medications prescribed by a doctor.
In addition, a prerequisite for successful treatment is to follow a diet. The doctor can recommend nutrition only after the examination, carefully analyzing what causes kidney stones in men. Diet treatment also depends on the type of calculus.
Surgical intervention
The following invasive methods are used:
- Remote lithotripsy. This method is abbreviated as DLT. With the help of shock waves, stone is destroyed. This intervention is well tolerated by patients. A positive result is observed in 90% of all cases. But, unfortunately, DLT cannot destroy some stones.
- Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy. It is used to get rid of dense or large stones, which the above method does not cope with. A nephroscope is inserted into the kidney through the skin. It breaks a stone using special ballistic or ultrasonic devices.
- Open surgical method. It is used to eliminate large calculi in patients with various complications.
Disease prevention
Now you know how dangerous kidney stone is. Symptoms in men, as well as in women, require compulsory treatment. This is the most important prevention method. In case of any discomfort, be sure to consult a doctor and undergo an examination. After all, even successful therapy does not give confidence that in the future the calculus will not form again.
Effective methods of prevention are the following measures:
- Adhere to proper nutrition, limiting the intake of salty, sour, fatty, spicy foods.
- Drink mineral water recommended by your doctor.
- Refuse alcohol.
- Avoid stress.
- Do not overeat and do not allow a sharp weight gain.
- Protect the body from hypothermia, especially in the lower back.
- Provide motor activity.
And remember that you should undergo an annual examination by a urologist! Such recommendations will minimize the risk of relapse.