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Navigating Life with Kidney Stones: A Journey to Wellbeing



Table of Contents



What are Kidney Stones?


Renal calculi, most commonly known as kidney stones, are hard deposits that form in the kidneys. These are ball-like structures consisting of minerals and salts with varying sizes, ranging from small to big. The stones in the kidneys can cause extreme pain while passing through the urinary tract. Each kidney stone diagnosis is different with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. 


When substances in urine, such as calcium and oxalate, become concentrated and crystallize, kidney stones can develop. Insufficient fluid intake, unhealthy food choices, and genetics are all factors that lead to kidney stone formation. In particular, dehydration contributes in lowering urine production, allowing mineral deposit to take place and leads to these hard deposits forming. 


There are 4 different types of kidney stones:


Calcium Stones: The majority of kidney stones are made up of calcium oxalate and may also be formed from calcium phosphate. 


Struvite Stones: Struvite stones form from urease-producing germs as a byproduct of infection. They mostly occur in women who have urinary tract infections.


Uric Acid Stones: These stones may form if the urine is too acidic, and so uric acid crystallizes (associated with high purine diet).


Cystine Stones: The type causes the kidney to excrete high amounts of cystine, resulting in its deposition as cystine crystals in the urine due to insolubility.


Knowing and understanding the type of kidney stone a patient has is crucial. This will lead to an accurate diagnosis and a successful treatment. If you think you have kidney stones, consider reaching out to a medical professional and working together to tackle your symptoms. 





Inspirational Stories


Living with kidney stones might seem like a barrier. However, when knowing how to approach the disease the right way, kidney stones become manageable. The following links lead to inspiring stories of individuals living with the condition and their personal experiences battling it:


Article:


Article:


Video:




Management Tips


Understanding how to manage kidney stones is key to a successful recovery. There are various kinds of kidney stones, and their treatment differs. Overall, prevention is vital when it comes to kidney stones! Consider using the following effective methods to understand kidney stone management and prevention:


Stay hydrated. Drinking around 3L of water every day will increase urination volume. In turn, mineral content will be decreased to prevent the formation of kidney stones. 


Maintain healthy weight. Obesity-associated kidney stones risk can be prevented through regular exercise and a balanced diet.


Take up regular monitoring. Day-to-day checkups are critical for individuals with underlying medical conditions or a family history with the condition. 


Consider your dietary choices. Individuals should limit oxalate-rich foods. Salt consumption should also be looked after. In other terms, sodium intake should be reduced as well.


Look after your calcium Intake. Eating enough dietary calcium will interact with oxalate and stop calcium oxalate crystal formation.  


Moderate protein consumption. Reducing animal protein consumption will prevent uric acid stones development.  





Tips for Caregivers


Caregivers play a super important role in a kidney stones patient's life. They have the ability to encourage them, better their lifestyles, and effectively manage their condition. Feel free to use the following suggestions as a caregiver:


Make good company. It is easy to feel isolated when struggling with a condition such as kidney stones. They can be painful and can vary in difficulty to manage. This is why as a caregiver, it is recommended to help individuals with kidney stones get their mind off their pain. Be ready to start a conversation and discuss interesting topics together. 


General question examples:

- How was your day? 

- What are you excited for?

- Would you be interested in taking a walk?

- Would you like to play a board game? 


Offer help around the house. Managing kidney stones is hard enough, but household duties can make it even more challenging. With having enough on their plate, individuals with kidney stones may struggle with maintaining house duties. As a caregiver, it is highly recommended to give them a hand!


Keep track of medication intake. When prescribed medicine by a professional, losing track of taking the medication is easier than you think. Caregivers can make sure that the patient is taking all their necessary medications in correct doses and during the prescribed duration. 


Make joining support groups a priority. Sometimes, all we need is a small push to commit to an activity. Caregivers should encourage individuals with kidney stones to join social support groups to let them know they are not alone. In the next section of the article, social support groups are mentioned and details on them are given. Make sure to check to check them out!





Social Support Groups


There are several online resources to help those struggling with kidney stones. These websites bring warmth, communication, and a sense of community. Social support groups are backed up by research and often include medical advice. Reaching out is an effective part of recovery, so do not shy away from it! Make sure to take advantage of these resources and engage with them: 


This website provides the opportunity for individuals with kidney stones, living donors, and even care givers to connect with a professional. This website is completely personalized, which means users are asked to fill out a form before being connected with a mentor. The sessions are one-on-one, free, and flexible. 


Stone Relief is an engaging website, which proves that you should not be restricted by your condition. This website brings the community together through shared posts, suggestions, blogs, weekly videos, podcast episodes, resource guides, and more! These multi-purpose ressources suggest how colorful, fun, and vibrant a social group can be. Stone Relief encourages users to be as educated and self-aware as possible. If you want to find any answers about kidney stones, do not hesitate to reach out!




Prognosis


Kidney stones can typically be managed, but not always cured completely. The prognosis is influenced by the stone type and degree of severity. Small stones often pass naturally. Survival rate in cases of kidney stones is also high, as they normally do not affect individuals’ lives directly. 


Kidney stones have a survival rate of 90%. Therefore, they are rarely considered life-threatening. In addition, there is an estimate that one in every ten people contracts the disease during their lifetime. If the causes are left to remain unaddressed, there’s also a possibility for recurrence. Overall, research in the National Library of Medicine proves that among patients that have survived one stone, the life-time recurrence rate is about 60% – 80%. 


References:  NIH, NIH


Resources


Books:

This is not just any kind of book, this is a cookbook! This book includes anything from recipes specifically tailored for individuals with kidney stones to suggestions for when going out or eating fast food. These recipes are well organized, especially when it comes to the ingredients used. 


Contact 

Phone Number: 1-800-828-7866


This short book explains what kidney stones are. The text includes tables with details on nutrition with kidney stones. There are also several explanations on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 


Contact 

Phone Number: 1-905-522-1155


Educational Websites:

The Kidney Stone Program includes several accessible articles on the diseases. With this link, you are able to watch video collections, read a kidney stone guidebook, look into surgery, and more!


Contact 

Phone Number: 1-773-702-5800


For science lovers, this website is perfect. It is put together using scientific terminology and specific facts to explain kidney stones as accurately as possible. With this resource, you can find medical images of kidney stones, tables, and detailed paragraph explanations. 


Contact 

Phone Number: 1-410-689-3700   


References


(n.d.). Kidney Stone Program – Kidney Stone Program | University of Chicago. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/

Family Medicine. (n.d.). St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.stjoes.ca/hospital-services/medicine-services/family-medicine#Referral

Helping a Loved One Live Well With Chronic Kidney Disease. (2023, November 27). VHA Home HealthCare. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.vha.ca/blog/helping-a-loved-one-live-well-with-chronic-kidney-disease/

How to Support Someone You Love That Has Kidney Disease. (n.d.). Durham Nephrology. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.durhamnephrology.com/how-to-support-someone-you-love-that-has-kidney-disease/

Kidney Stones Over the Years: A Survivor Shares His Story. (2021, July 30). Urology Care Foundation. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.urologyhealth.org/healthy-living/care-blog/2021/kidney-stones-over-the-years-a-survivor-shares-his-story

Kidney stones - Prevention. (n.d.). NHS. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-stones/prevention/

Kidney stones - Symptoms and causes. (2022, June 3). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-stones/symptoms-causes/syc-20355755

Learning about. (n.d.). Learning about. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/patient-education:-k-o/kidney-stones-and-diet.pdf

Living Healthy - Fight Kidney Stones with a Food Cookbook. (n.d.).

Medical Student Curriculum: Kidney Stones. (n.d.). American Urological Association. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.auanet.org/meetings-and-education/for-medical-students/medical-students-curriculum/kidney-stones

Mortality from kidney stone disease (KSD) as reported in the literature over the last two decades: a systematic review. (2018, August 27). PubMed. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30151599/

Nephrology: 1. Investigation and treatment of recurrent kidney stones. (n.d.). NCBI. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC99277/

NKF PEERs. (n.d.). National Kidney Foundation. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.kidney.org/treatment-support/peers

Sauk Prairie Healthcare (Director). (n.d.). [TV series episode].

Six Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones. (n.d.). National Kidney Foundation. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneystones_prevent

Stone Relief. (n.d.).

TED-Ed (Director). (n.d.). [TV series episode].

Teen Reshapes Her Diet, Transforms Her Life | Pediatric Stone Center. (n.d.). Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/s/stone-center/patient-stories/kidney-stone-removed

Types of Kidney Stones. (n.d.). NYU Langone Health. Retrieved August 17, 2024, from https://nyulangone.org/conditions/kidney-stones/types


 
 
 

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