Analysis and Description of Nephrolithiasis

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Kidneys play an important role in the unary tract. They are located on each side of the spine, just below the ribcage. Each kidney is connected to the bladder by ureters. The kidneys have many functions, but the most common functions are to clean waste, control chemicals, and regulate fluid in the body which makes up the urine. Urine collects in the kidney before entering the ureters and as time passes more materials are added. When calcium and oxalate or phosphates are combined in the kidney tiny stones are formed called nephrolithiasis, commonly known as kidney stones. These stones can be very painful and “increases risks for diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis” (Goldfarb, 2009). About ten percent of all people will have kidney stones in their lifetime. Kidney stones are most frequently found in white men over the age of forty, relatives of kidney stone patients, and people who have formerly had kidney stones. Many people never find out that they have had stones in their kidneys. Some stones are small enough to flow through the kidney without ever causing any pain. These are called "silent stones"(Ford-Martin & Odle, 2005) Kidney stones cause problems when they get in the way of the normal flow of urine. They can block the flow through the ureter that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. “The kidney is not accustomed to experiencing any pressure. When pressure builds from backed-up urine, it causes hydronephrosis” (Ford-Martin & Odle, 2005). If the kidney is subjected to this pressure for a while, there may be damage to the fragile kidney structures. When the kidney stone is lodged further down the ureter, the backed-up urine may also cause the ureter to swell. Because the ureter is a musc...

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...gnosis depends on the cause of the kidney stones and the response to preventive therapies.

Works Cited

Flagg, L. (2007). Dietary and holistic treatment of recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones:

review of literature to guide patient education. Urologic Nursing, 27(2), 113. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Ford-Martin, P., & Odle, G. (2005). Kidney Stones. Health encyclopedia. Retrieved March 8, 2011, from http://healthtools.aarp.org/galecontent/kidney-stones

Goldfarb, D. (2009). In the clinic. Nephrolithiasis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(3), ITC2. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Rodman, Sosa, & Seidman, (2007). No more kidney stones. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wilet & Sons, Inc. Retrived form http://www.google.com/search?q=no+more+kidney+stones

Schardt, D. (2009). Skipping stones. Nutrition Action Health Letter, 36(1), 9-11. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

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