In this article, we will talk about such a pathology as sand in the kidneys. Symptoms and how to remove it from the body, we consider below.
Such a disease does not actually exist. At least, such is not listed in the international registry of pathologies. The appearance of sand in this organ indicates the development of urolithiasis. This is a disease in which stones are formed in the urinary organs that interfere with the normal functioning of not only the kidneys, but also the ureters and the bladder.
Clinical picture
What are the symptoms of kidney sand?
This disease is not always possible to suspect on time, because at the initial stage, people practically do not feel any discomfort. But during the release of sand with urine, patients very often complain of severe pain. The inflammatory process, as a rule, begins when the sand moves along the urinary system and irritates the mucous membranes. Sand is detected using prophylactic ultrasound. Various symptoms that are associated with urination can indicate the appearance of sand symptoms in the kidneys.
Reasons for the appearance
Contrary to popular belief, sand in this organ does not appear at all because of urinary tract pathologies. The main cause of the appearance of sand in the kidneys is a metabolic disorder. Due to a malfunction in metabolic processes in the blood, the level of various salts increases, which leads to the formation of certain calculi. In cases in which the salt concentration becomes very high, small particles first form and then stones form.
Unfavorable factors
The failure of metabolic processes, which leads to the formation of sand, occurs against a background of various adverse factors, for example, such as:
- The presence of a hereditary predisposition. The peculiarity of the metabolic process in the body often coincides with that of the next of kin. In this regard, the likelihood of urolithiasis in individuals whose relatives have already suffered from this pathology increases significantly.
- The composition of the fluid used. It has long been established that the likelihood of urolithiasis in the first place increases in those people who drink hard water. We are talking about water, which contains elevated concentrations of salts of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Such water can extremely negatively affect the state of the entire urinary system.
- Unbalanced diet. In order to prevent the formation of sand and kidney stones, it is important to maintain an exceptionally balanced diet. For example, it is necessary to combine meat food with vegetable food. In the event that meat products prevail in the daily diet, the process of urine acidification takes place. If plant food predominates, then the alkalization process is carried out. Nutrition factor is very important in the framework of the formation of sand symptoms in the kidneys in men, since it is the representatives of the stronger sex who consume an excessive amount of meat products.
What other factors affect the formation of sand in the kidneys?
In addition, sand in this organ can form under the influence of the following factors:
- The presence of an imbalance of vitamins. Lack or, conversely, excessive consumption of certain individual vitamins can cause the appearance of sand in the kidneys.
- The influence of climatic factors. Living in a too hot and humid climate leads to changes in thermoregulation, in addition to a delay in the blood of trace elements and the formation of sand in the kidneys.
- An increase in parathyroid glands in size. With this pathology, an increase in the concentration of calcium in the urine occurs.
- The presence of pathologies of the urinary system. Similar diseases can contribute to the development of urolithiasis. For example, the formation of sand is affected by congenital malformations of the genitourinary system along with chronic glomerulonephritis, urethritis and other diseases. With all these pathologies, patients have stagnation of urine, which leads to an increase in salt concentration and the subsequent formation of sand. What are the causes of kidney symptoms of sand in women?
- Drug treatment. The use of certain medical devices can cause sand in the kidneys. For example, diuretics, steroid drugs, and other drugs that affect metabolic processes and the functioning of the urinary system are referred to such medicines.
In the case of a diagnosis of urolithiasis and the presence of sand symptoms in the kidneys, the doctor must find the cause of this pathology in order to choose the optimal treatment option, which, first of all, should be reduced to eliminating predisposing factors.
What are the symptoms?
For a very long time, sand may not make itself felt. But when he begins to leave the kidneys, a person feels soreness, which is very difficult not to notice. At a time when the sand is moving from the kidneys to the urethra, the mucous membrane of the urinary system is irritated, which leads to the development of inflammation. There are several main signs that a person is concerned about if sand or kidney stones are present, for example:
- The appearance of difficulties during urination. The process of urine withdrawal becomes painful, because of this there will be a feeling of incomplete emptying. Among other things, there will be frequent urge to urinate, not always ending with the discharge of urine. The symptoms of kidney sand in men and women are similar.
- The occurrence of pain. Sand grains usually irritate the mucous membranes of the urinary system, causing severe pain. Usually, under such circumstances, patients are concerned about cutting pain in the lumbar region. There may be symptoms of sand in the right kidney, and may be in the left. Most often, the occurrence of sand is limited to only one kidney. In this case, painful symptoms are usually localized on only one side. When sand comes from the kidneys, the symptoms and nature of the pain are aching, pulling, or acute. The pain can spread to the upper abdomen or groin. It is noteworthy that such symptoms can also indicate the presence of renal colic.
- The presence of changes in the urine. One of the signs of urolithiasis is a darkening or marked clouding of the urine. In this case, its shade directly depends on the composition of calculi. In the case of sand in the kidneys in the urine, particles of blood are often noticed, which may be in the form of clots or will be liquid. With an advanced disease, purulent discharge can also be observed. Now it’s clear what are the symptoms of kidney sand in women. Photos of patients who have encountered this ailment are presented in the article.
- Temperature rise. In very rare situations - usually during pregnancy - sand in the kidneys can report an increase in temperature. A similar reaction is likely due to the development of the inflammatory process in the urinary system. At times, patients may report nausea or vomiting. Due to impaired fluid flow, an increase in pressure is likely along with swelling.
Pathology treatment
The treatment of such a problem as sand in the kidney involves the use of a variety of therapeutic methods. These may be special diets. Medication or surgery is also recommended.
Diet
If there is sand in this organ, the patient needs to limit the consumption of meat products along with cocoa, legumes, coffee, sweets and salt. In addition, it is necessary to limit the use of fatty foods and alcohol. It is also advisable to exclude spices and spicy dishes from your diet. Preference should be given to dairy products, fruits and vegetables. In the presence of oxalate sand, sorrel, spinach, strong tea, muffin and coffee are also excluded from the diet. With phosphates, the patient is prohibited from dairy products and spices, spicy dishes and alcohol.
Drug therapy
To treat the symptoms and signs of sand in the kidneys, women and men are also prescribed drug therapy. In the event that sand in the kidneys was caused by any infection, then the patient is prescribed antibiotics. In order to remove and split sand, very often patients are prescribed diuretics, which, as a rule, are plant-based. Additionally, anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed to prevent the occurrence of urethritis and cystitis.
Shock wave technique
This pathology is also treated with the help of a shock wave crushing technique, after this procedure sand is naturally removed from the kidneys. But in the event that the sand has already formed into stones, moreover, of large sizes, and conservative treatment does not produce the desired results, then the patient is prescribed surgical removal of salt formations.
With what else can you remove the symptoms of sand in the kidneys?
Treatment with folk methods
In folk medicine, there are many recipes that help people cope with such a problem as sand in the kidneys. Here is a list of the most popular recipes:
- Treatment with a collection of rose hips. In addition to rose hips, strawberry leaves, parsley, birch buds and flax seeds are added. All of these ingredients need to be taken in equal quantities and chopped in a meat grinder. Two tablespoons of the collection are poured with 500 milliliters of boiling water. Next, the collection must be insisted in a thermos for one night, after which it is taken in a third of a glass three times a day for a month.
- Treatment by collecting from calamus root. Additionally, corn stigmas, Kuril tea and knotweed grass are added to the collection. This collection is prepared similarly to the previous one and is adopted in exactly the same way.
- Application of the collection of fresh licorice root. In addition to licorice, dill, blueberry grass, juniper fruits and leaves of a shepherd’s bag are added. To prepare this collection, all ingredients are mixed in equal amounts, then three tablespoons of the mixture are poured with a liter of boiling water, after which the product is infused for about six hours. Take the resulting medicine in half a cup twice a day with symptoms of sand and salt in the kidneys.
Prevention
In order to prevent the occurrence of crystals in the kidneys, it is required to bring the patient's metabolism in order. To do this, it is necessary to find out the main cause of metabolic disturbances and, if possible, try to completely eliminate it. As part of the prevention of the formation of sand in this body and relapse of kidney stones, people need to follow the following recommendations:
- Food must be balanced. The amount of fluid consumed per day needs to be increased to one and a half liters. You should limit the use of salt, and in addition, try to regularly add plant foods to your diet.
- It is very important to completely eliminate alcoholic beverages.
- Vitamins should be taken, but this must be done only as directed by the doctor. Supporting the body with vitamins is extremely important for the correction of metabolic processes in the body.
- It is advisable to regularly pass urine for analysis.
Conclusion
To date, sand in the kidneys is quite common. There are many reasons for this, ranging from poor-quality drinking water to improper nutrition and so on. In order to avoid surgery, you should undergo regular examinations, since immediately before the formation of stones from the sand in the kidneys, you can get rid without surgery.
We examined the symptoms, causes, and treatment of sand and kidney stones.