What Is a Ureteral Stone?
A Ureteral stone, which is pronounced as “yer-ree-ter-uhl”, is a crystal or a solid mass that is irregularly shaped and gets stuck in your ureter. The two tubes that move the urine from the kidney to the bladder are called ureters. There is one ureter for one kidney.
Ureteral stones can either form in your left ureter or the right one. The size of the ureter is between 10-12 inches long in most of the adults. Stones may appear at the origin point of the ureter or at the distal end, which means away from the origin point. The origin point, which is also known as the proximal point of your ureter, is connected to the renal pelvis. Between each of your kidneys, there is a renal pelvis in the centre that is responsible for collecting the urine. The ending point of the renal pelvis is connected to the bladder.
Generally, ureteral stones are very small and sometimes too small to be even seen with the naked eye. They usually pass through your urine without causing any problems. However, suppose the size of the ureteral stone is large enough, and it can block the passage of the pee from the kidney to the bladder. In that case, one can experience severe pain for which you can consult the best Urologist in Ludhiana. The ureteral stones are formed due to the buildup of minerals and salts in your pee. The minerals form crystals that eventually turn into stones.
What Are The Types Of Ureteral Stones?
There are four major types of ureteral stones:
- Calcium stones: These are one of the most common types of ureteral stones. The types of calcium stones are calcium phosphorus and calcium oxalate stones.
- Uric acid stones: Excessive uric acid in your pee results in the formation of uric acid stones.
- Struvite stones: Struvite stones can sometimes take place due to urinary tract infection (UTI). Some of the main components of struvite stones are calcium carbon-apatite and magnesium ammonium phosphate.
- Cystine stones: The genetic disorder known as cystinuria results in the formation of cystine stones. Cystinuria causes difficulty for the kidney to reabsorb the amino acid cysteine which results in its leakage from the kidney to urine.
Any type of ureteral stone can be managed at a kidney hospital in ludhiana.
What Are The Symptoms Of Ureteral Stones?
If you have very small ureteral stones, then they may pass through your urine without causing any complications and symptoms. However, stones that are bigger in size and causes blockage in the ureters or any of the tubes for kidney drainage may include symptoms like:
- Severe pain comes and goes and affects your upper flank, which involves your back and the area under your lower ribs.
- Pain that radiates to your lower abdomen.
- The feeling of burning and pain while peeing.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Discoloured or blood pee
- Cloudy pee
- Frequent urges to pee
- Peeing a small amount
In case of noticing these symptoms visiting a kidney hospital in Ludhiana would help to manage the condition.
What Are The Causes Of Ureteral Stones?
Ureteral stones are formed due to excessive formation of the substances that form stones. The substances that are responsible for the formation of ureteral stones generally pass through the urine without any complications. In case you face difficulties, then it indicates that the amount of pee is not sufficient for the body to dissolve or flush the substance. This usually happens when you don’t drink enough water, and the substance starts to crystalize. When the crystal starts to take the shape of the stone and cause complications, it is better to contact the best urologist in ludhiana to manage the situation and reduce the complications.
What Substances Form Ureteral Stones?
The substances that cause the formation of ureteral stones are:
- Calcium
- Oxalate
- Phosphate
- Cystine
- Uric acid
- Xanthine
These are the types, symptoms and causes of ureteral stones. Most of the time, these stones do not cause any complications, but when they do, be sure to consult a doctor and seek their guidance before taking any medications to relieve the pain.
