Stabbing flank pain, 'Yoro absenteeism'Caution: refrain from spinach, chocolate, etc
Aug 15, 2024
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Urinary calculus is a common disease that accounts for 30% of urology patients, accompanied by great pain equivalent to colic and has a high recurrence rate. In the summer when you sweat a lot, urine volume decreases and substances that cause stones stay for a long time, increasing the incidence of urinary stones.
According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (statistics of diseases and medical practices in life in 2023), the number of urinary tract stones in 2022 was 317,323, of which 211,005 were in their 40s and 60s, accounting for about 66%. By gender, there are twice as many male patients as female patients among patients in their 40s and 60s. Looking at the monthly trend, the largest number of patients visit hospitals for urinary tract stones in July (44,762) and August (46,747).
"The reason why there are many patients with urinary stones in the summer is that sweat discharge reduces urine volume and concentrates urine well, making it an environment where stones are easy to make," said H Plus Yangji Hospital, a urologist. "The probability of recurrence within 5 years after treatment is 35%, accompanied by extreme pain."
◇ Beware of abdominal pain that does not improve even with painkillers
When water intake decreases in summer, urinary crystals such as calcium and minerals in urine clump together, causing stones to occur easily. In addition, exposure to sunlight activates vitamin D production and affects calcium metabolism, which also increases the risk of stones. If you suffer from obesity and metabolic diseases, the incidence of urinary stones increases significantly due to the increased emission of oxalic acid, uric acid, sodium, and phosphoric acid, which are the causes of stones.
Urinary stones are formed in the urinary tract, which is the way urine is produced and transported, stored, and excreted, and are divided into kidney stones, ureter stones, bladder stones, and ureter stones depending on where the stones are formed. In particular, they feel severe pain like stabbing with a knife or awl in the side or abdomen and do not improve easily with painkillers. Depending on the location of the stone, men may have urination symptoms such as testicular pain and hematuria, and women may have pain spreading to the vulva. High fever, chills, vomiting, and indigestion can also occur if the infection is accompanied.
Although lack of water is the biggest cause of urinary stones, it also occurs in various causes such as large amounts of animal protein intake, a family history such as heredity, inappropriate eating habits, urinary tract infections, and urinary tract deformities. If you have severe flank pain, you should suspect urinary stones, receive proper examination, diagnosis, and treatment, and check stone discharge regardless of symptoms. Even if the symptoms disappear, complications such as urinary tract infection and renal failure may occur in the future, so treatment and follow-up management are important.
Urinary stones are diagnosed by physical examination, urine examination, and radiation examination. Urinalysis can confirm the presence or absence of hematuria and infection. Computed tomography is the most accurate diagnosis of stones, but depending on the nature of the stones, simple urinary tract imaging can also confirm the stones. Depending on the ingredients, radiolucent stones can be subjected to excretive urinary angiography.
◇Prevent urinary tract stones through sufficient water intake and regular inspection
Dephrologist says that stones smaller than 5mm can be expected to be discharged naturally as a large amount of water intake and drug treatment. Even if the stone size is large or small, if it fails to discharge naturally, it should be subjected to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, surgical treatment of ureteral subductal stone removal, and percutaneous nephrostomy," he said.
On the other hand, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a procedure that does not require anesthesia to crush stones and induce natural discharge by firing shock waves from outside the body.
The prevention of urinary stones in summer is based on drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of sufficient water per day along with proper exercise. Excessive exercise consumes moisture in the body, so you have to control your exercise, and if you consume a lot of sodium, the amount of calcium that escapes to your urine increases, which can cause urinary stones, so you have to reduce salty food. It is recommended to reduce foods high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, nuts, and chocolate, as much as possible, and to consume enough fruits and vegetables high in dietary fiber.
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