Struvite Stones: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Diet, and more
Struvite stones, kidney stones made of magnesium ammonium phosphate, are often caused by an upper urinary tract infection because of bacteria. When the urine becomes more alkaline, struvite stones are formed. Struvite stones, also known as infection stones, include magnesium ammonium phosphate and calcium carbon apatite. Struvite stones treatment, if not done in time, then it can damage your kidney, leading to fatal infections. Struvite stones are not those hexagonal crystals in the urine that are present in the patient who is suffering from Cystinuria, both are different.
Symptoms of Struvite Stones
Struvite stones can grow quickly and harm your body. Hence, these stones must be removed in time. When bacteria such as Proteus or Klebsiella enter the body and break down the urea in your urine into ammonia, struvite stones are formed. The stones that are small enough can pass through easily and have no effects on the human body. However, if the stone is big in size then those stones can cause significant pain and other health problems. If you have any of the symptoms among all those mentioned below, then you should consult a doctor immediately.
Symptoms
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Blood in the urine
- Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
- Vomiting or Fever
- Frequent urge for urinating
- Passing small amounts of urine
How to cure Struvite Stones?
Struvite stones can be cured by following a strict struvite diet and a few other things,
- You should drink enough water daily which will help keep your urine less concentrated.
- Your urine appears light yellow if you are well hydrated. Staying hydrated helps maintain the overall health of the body.
- A few herbal extracts like Rotula Aquatica, Boerhaavia diffusa Linn, and Curcumin can be effective in preventing struvite stones.
Diagnosis of Struvite Stones
There are varied ways by which struvite stones can be diagnosed by doctors. Whosoever is seeking professional help for checking if they have struvite stones, shall make sure that they consider an expert for the struvite stones treatment.
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan: In this, images are taken from different angles with the help of a beam of X-rays and computers to get a detailed analysis of the urinary tract.
- MRI Scan: A powerful magnetic field and radio waves help in taking detailed photographs of the urinary tract.
- Blood Test: A blood sample helps in checking levels of waste products like calcium and uric acid in the urine as these waste products can turn into stones.
- Intravenous urography: To look for problems with your kidneys, ureters, and bladder, this test uses X-rays and a special dye.
Treatment of Struvite Stones
Struvite stones are too large to pass through and hence it is rare that they pass through medical help. Most of the time, surgical procedures are needed to remove larger stones. Struvite stones break with the help of supplements.
Two types of surgical methods, shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, are used for struvite stones treatment. High-energy acoustic pulses are being used in shock wave lithotripsy to break up the stone into smaller pieces for passing. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a surgery through which a stone is removed from the back. If the stones are too large to be broken up by shock wave lithotripsy, then Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is the preferred treatment.
If these two surgeries are not possible for struvite stones treatment, then open surgery to remove the stones is recommended by doctors. A larger incision in your abdomen or side is done by the surgeon to remove the stones from your kidney. If the kidney has been completely damaged because of struvite stones then doctors remove the kidney.
There isn’t any particular struvite diet that if followed would ensure that you will never have to suffer from struvite stones. Staying hydrated keeps many health-related issues at bay and so helps prevent Struvite Stones. One should not intake salt more than the required amount to avoid struvite stones. If you are looking for supplements for struvite stones treatment, then you must take right supplements that would help in breaking the stones that are too large.
