Abdominal pain suddenly strikes, shockingly - it turns out to be urinary stones!

Author: Dong Xingyou, Shapingba Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University

Reviewer: Liu Shixue, deputy chief physician, Shapingba Hospital affiliated to Chongqing University

Urinary stones are a common disease that not only brings physical pain to patients, but also may cause a series of complications.

1. What are urinary stones?

Urinary stones refer to stones that occur in the kidneys, ureters, bladder and other urinary systems. They are common urinary system diseases in clinical practice. Clinical observations have found that this disease is caused by metabolic abnormalities (abnormal urine pH, hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria), urinary tract obstruction, infection and certain drug factors. It is usually divided into upper urinary tract stones and lower urinary tract stones, among which kidney and ureteral stones are the most common. In recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards, people's dietary structure has changed significantly, and the intake of high-fat and high-purine foods in daily diet has increased, and the incidence of urinary stones is at a high level.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Urinary stones are hard masses formed by the crystallization of minerals in urine. These stones may cause severe pain and discomfort. The pain of urinary stones is often manifested as dull pain in the waist and abdominal cramps, sometimes accompanied by urethral stinging, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine and other symptoms. If the pain persists or worsens, you need to seek medical attention in time.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Many patients, due to lack of understanding of urinary stones, are prone to misperceptions when pain occurs, which may lead to incorrect behaviors, thus aggravating the condition or symptoms.

2. What are the symptoms of urinary tract stones?

1. Dull pain in the lower back

Patients with urinary stones have difficulty in excreting urine due to the narrow junction between the renal pelvis and the ureter. Especially when the stones move, they will irritate the local mucosa, causing dull pain in the waist. Usually, the pain is most obvious in the waist, and is accompanied by a sore and swollen feeling. The duration varies from person to person.

2. Abdominal cramps

Abdominal cramps are a common symptom of urinary obstruction. The obstruction can cause the pressure in the renal pelvis to increase, which can lead to abdominal cramps. The pain is usually in the lower abdomen, but may radiate to the scrotum or inner thigh in some cases.

3. Urethra pain

Once stones appear in the urinary system, if they are not discovered and treated in time, the urinary tract mucosa may be damaged, which may lead to symptoms such as urethral stinging. Usually, this symptom occurs during urination, and the urethral opening may become red and swollen.

4. Difficulty urinating

If stones are not treated and handled in time, they may block the urethra and cause obstruction of urine flow. In order to promote the discharge of urine, the bladder will over-contract. The patient's urination difficulties are manifested as thinner urine, interruption or dripping, and in some severe cases, the patient may even be unable to urinate.

5. Hematuria

Hematuria is caused by the friction of stones that damage the urinary system mucosa, or it may be caused by stones compressing blood vessels. Its main manifestation is dark red urine or blood streaks, and in some cases, sediment will appear.

It can be seen that urinary stones not only cause patients to experience acute pain in the waist and lower abdomen, but if not treated in time, it may also induce more serious problems. Therefore, once the above symptoms occur, you should seek medical attention in time.

3. What tests are needed for urinary stones?

Ultrasound is one of the most commonly used methods for examining urinary stones. It uses the reflection of sound waves to generate images of structures in the body, helping us to accurately locate stones and roughly determine their size. In addition, CT is also an important examination method. It can provide more detailed three-dimensional images, which helps doctors to have a more comprehensive understanding of the condition of stones, including their shape, density and their relationship with surrounding tissues. These examination results not only provide an important reference for doctors to formulate treatment plans, but also can be compared during and after treatment to evaluate the treatment effect.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

4. Treatment of urinary stones

When you feel severe abdominal pain, you should take immediate measures to relieve the pain, including taking painkillers and muscle relaxants. Note that in this case, do not do strenuous exercise and seek medical help as soon as possible.

1. Medication

If the stone is 0.5 to 1.0 cm in diameter, has a relatively smooth surface, and the urinary tract below the stone is not blocked, you can try drug treatment. During treatment, you should drink enough water every day, about 2000 to 3000 ml, to promote the discharge of stones. There are many types of drugs, and the doctor will choose according to the specific situation of the patient.

Figure 4 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

2. Surgery

When medications are not enough to relieve pain, or conservative treatments do not work as expected, surgery may be necessary. There are many different types of surgery, including using shock waves to break up the stones or using special equipment to remove them. Your doctor will choose the most appropriate surgery based on the specific location and size of the stone.

Figure 5 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

In short, urinary stones should not be underestimated. Once the above symptoms appear, you should seek medical attention in time to get professional diagnosis and treatment. At this stage, the treatment methods for urinary stones are diverse and effective, so you don’t have to worry too much. Seeking medical attention in time and following the doctor’s advice for treatment are the key to effectively dealing with urinary stones.