"Kidney Stone Awareness".

alli001 (71)Club5050 | Nigeriain Healthy Steem • last year

^{Edited on Canva pro}

I vividly recall two neighbors who died due to concealing their illnesses, believing it was the right thing to do. Had they disclosed their conditions, they might still be alive. Unfortunately, many people worldwide hide their health issues, forfeiting potential solutions. I appreciate initiatives like @afzalqamar's health awareness efforts, which can help those suffering from kidney stones. To share my perspective, I'll address the following questions...

What do you know about kidney stones?

Those hard minerals deposit that form inside the kidneys, is what we call kidney stones. These hard minerals are of various sizes. Depending on their size, some stones can easily pass naturally through the urinary tract, specially, through the tube that connects kidneys to the bladder, into the bladder, and out of the body when urinating.

As for the larger stones size, this condition may require medical intervention, such as surgery, because the size of the stones won't be able to penetrate through the ureters, or out of the body through urine. Kidney stones can be very painful, and can lead to more serious health issues such as damage of the kidney, infection, and barrier to our urine flow if not treated.

What causes kidney stones, and what are the common symptoms?

Causes:

Obstruction or blockages in the urinary tract can make the urine to stagnate, which can make the stones to form at that moment, and possibly leading to kidney stones.

^{Excessive consumption of sea food❌}

A diet high in animal protein can cause kidney stones. A lot of people take in excessive consumption of meat, poultry and seafood, thinking it's a good diet. Capital NO, taking in diet substances like this causes kidney stones.

^{Consuming high amount of white/parboiled rice❌}

Still on the diet aspects, excessive taking in, or consuming high amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause kidney stones. Refined carbohydrates I'm talking about here includes; sugary snacks, white rice (parboiled), processed cereals, etc.

^{Not drinking enough water❌}

Not drinking enough water can make our urine more concentrated, and when our urine is more concentrated, it can lead to a buildup of minerals like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. Gradually, these minerals I just mentioned will form crystals which can eventually develop into kidney stones.

Symptoms

^{Experiencing sudden pain in the back}

Someone suffering from kidney stones will start experiencing sudden and intense pain in the abdomen, back or side. As days pass by, this pain will radiate slowly to the groin.

During the urinating process, some kind of pain or discomfort will occur. Even in the urinary tract, they'll be some burning sensation.

Frequent urination will occur because of the small stones in the bladder which irritates the urinary tract. Also, you'll always feel like urinating instantly even without notice, it's called urinary urgency.

How can kidney stones be prevented or treated?

Prevention:

^{Stay hydrated by drinking enough water✅}

Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is one way to prevent kidney stones because the water will dilute minerals in the urine, and prevent stones formation.

^{Diet rich in fruits✅}

To prevent kidney stones, we must watch our diet. It's advisable to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Treatment:

^{Taking pain relief medications✅}

Since someone suffering from kidney stones will be going through severe pains in the abdomen, back and side, taking pain relief medications can help manage the pain.

Pain relief medications may not be effective if there are larger stones in the urinary tract. In this condition, it's advisable to visit the hospital for proper investigation and surgery. But in terms of small stones, you can easily treat it at home by drinking enough water to flush them out.

Why is spreading awareness about kidney-related health important?

Spreading awareness about kidney-related health is important because it'll ring a bell to early detection and treatment. When the society hear of this kidney-related health issues, it'll be possible and easy to get rid of it, or even avoiding it, because it's said that "prevention is better than cure".

Educating people through the spread of this kidney-related health awareness can reduce the number of people who fall a victim to this disease, or reducing the incidence of kidney diseases.

There are people out there who are suffering from this disease for years, this awareness is important because it may be of help, and promote support for those being affected by kidney diseases.

Most people don't take their healthy habits as their number one priority. This awareness is important because it encourages people to adopt healthy habits, such as staying hydrated and maintaining a balanced diet