Pregnancy and Kidney Stones
Urinary stones are one of the most common causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy. Kidney stones during pregnancy are not formed very often but it is advisable to get the discomfort diagnosed at an early stage so that this can not only ease the pain but also prevent early labor. Most often these stones pass off in the urine but larger stones do need medical intervention.
Reasons for Kidney Stones during Pregnancy:
Specific changes that occur in women during pregnancy lead to kidney stones. During the later stage of pregnancy, the outflow of urine is restricted due to the position and size of the uterus. During this time the urine is not eliminated efficiently due to the dilation of the ureters. There are also changes in different vitamins and minerals which form kidney stones.
Some symptoms of Kidney Stones:
Most often kidney stones are misdiagnosed as diverticulitis or appendicitis. Some of the symptoms you can look for are
- Pain to the groin which is radiating
- Vomiting and Nausea
- Blood in the Urine
- Severe flank or abdominal pain
- Pain while urinating.
How is Kidney Stone diagnosed during Pregnancy?
Kidney stones can be diagnosed in various different ways depending on your doctor.
This can be diagnosed with the help of ultrasound, urine culture, intravenous urography, CT scan or, even nuclear renography.
How to get rid of Kidney Stones when Pregnant?
If you notice any symptoms of kidney stones during pregnancy it is advised to consult a urologist. The treatment depends on the size of the kidney stone and also the trimester.
- Medical Treatment:
Generally, Paracetamol is prescribed or relieving the pain but in case there is no relief from medications your doctor might decide on surgical intervention.
- Surgical Treatment:
- Tube or Stent:
This procedure involves the passing of a hollow tube through your ureter for draining the urine and stones. This requires local anesthesia and is the least invasive.
- Ureteroscopy:
Ureteroscopy is used not only for breaking down the stones but also for diagnosis. A ureteroscope, which is a small tube, is inserted in your kidney, which passes through the urethra, ureter and, urinary bladder. The stone in the kidney is broken by a laser. This works well for small stones.
- Open Surgery and Shock Wave Therapy:
This is normally avoided for pregnant women.
Home remedies are most preferred when a woman is pregnant and suffering from kidney stones.
- Ensure you drink more than 8 glasses of water every day so that the stones can be flushed out.
- Include fruits like blueberries, watermelon peaches and, other fruits with a high content of water in your daily diet.
- Lemon can be had as this helps in breaking the stones and also open the ureters so that the kidney stone is flushed out with ease.
Prevention of Kidney Stones:
It is best to adopt methods to prevent the forming of kidney stones, especially during pregnancy. You can reduce the intake of salt and increase the intake of water. Avoid too much of calcium.
