Treatment of Urolithiasis That Causes Severe Back Pain, South Korea

What Is Urolithiasis?

Urolithiasis is a disease in which stones form in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra - where urine is produced, transported, stored, and excreted. Depending on the location, the stones are divided into kidney stones, ureter stones, bladder stones, and urethral stones. This is because stones can occur anywhere in the urinary tract. The age at which urolithiasis occurs varies from young people in their 30s to middle-aged people in their 60s. In Korea, urolithiasis occurs most often in men in their 40s and women in their 60s.

Reasons Why Urolithiasis Is More Frequent in Summer

In summer, the number of urolithiasis patients increases rapidly. Although urolithiasis can be caused by various factors, it is known that the risk of occurrence is higher in a high temperature environment.

The more you sweat, the less you urinate. As a result, substances that cause stones remain in the urine for a long time, resulting in the formation of stones.

Symptoms of Urolithiasis

The most common symptom of urolithiasis is severe pain in the flanks. However, as mentioned above, the pain pattern may appear differently depending on where exactly the stone is located in the urinary tract.

Severe flank pain is the main symptom of ureteric stones, caused by kidney stones coming out with urine and getting caught in the ureter. It is a dull, persistent pain that can not be relieved by analgesics, and may be transmitted to the lower part of the pubic bone and external genitalia.

Sometimes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea appear, and if the stones are located near the bladder, they irritate the bladder causing frequent urination or hematuria.

If urolithiasis is not treated promptly, it can cause various complications including hydronephrosis, when kidneys are filled with water. The symptoms of urolithiasis can be severe and then disappear for a while. Even if you experience occasional flank pain, it is a good idea to check with a urologist.

What Causes Urolithiasis Symptoms?

Diet also has a large influence on the occurrence of urolithiasis. You are at high risk of developing urolithiasis if you do not drink enough water while enjoying fatty meat, flour, and salty foods basis. Drinking not enough water causes chronic dehydration, which results in decreased urine output. The stone-forming factor can be easily concentrated.

In addition, adult diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are also known to be highly related to the occurrence of urolithiasis. In particular, it has been reported that men are twice as likely to develop urolithiasis than women.

How to treat Urolithiasis in Korea

Surgery is not an absolute treatment for urolithiasis in Korea. Before urolithiasis surgery, consider the location, size, and risk factors of the stone. In general, small stones less than 5 mm are treated with medication or waiting for the stones to be naturally excreted in the urine.

After treatment, special attention should be paid to preventing recurrence. It is known that urolithiasis recurs in about half of patients and three or more times in 10% within 10 years of treatment.

How to diagnose Urolithiasis in Korea

When a doctor confirms the symptoms and if urolithiasis is suspected, a urine test and X-ray examination are performed. When stones are not clearly visible on a simple X-ray examination, angiography using a contrast medium to see the process of urine being produced in the kidneys and discharged into the ureters, or urologic ultrasound examination to confirm stones may be recommended. A CT scan may also help with the diagnosis.

How to prevent Urolithiasis

The first way to prevent urolithiasis is to drink plenty of water. In addition, a fresh and balanced diet also helps prevent the recurrence of urolithiasis. In particular, fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, oranges, and tangerines contain a lot of citric acid, which can prevent the formation of stones.

In addition, the consumption of meat should be reduced, as well as spinach, cola, coffee, almonds, and tea, which contain a lot of oxalic acid.

When calcium is reduced to avoid urolithiasis, the most frequent stone, calcium oxalate stone, might increase the chance of stone recurrence by raising intestinal absorption of oxalic acid.

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