The new prosperity disease urinary stones

Dietary habits cause massive increase in urinary stone disease

23/05/2011

In today's developed world, urinary stones are a widespread disease with the status of a widespread disease. Around one in ten Germans fight their painful urinary stones at least once during their lifetime, said the chairman of the working group urinary stones of the German Society for Urology e.V., Professor Thomas Knoll, to the news agency „DAPD“.

According to the expert, the increased incidence of urinary stones in the industrialized nations is due to the unhealthy nutritional and behavioral habits of the population. A fat and protein-rich diet, lack of fluid intake and a lack of physical activity, according to the experts of the German Society of Urology, according to significant factors in the formation of urinary stones. According to Professor Thomas Knoll, every third patient in the urological practices in Germany is treated today for urinary stones.

Urinary stones often go unnoticed for months
Although urinary stones can cause massive pain, the deposits in the urinary tract are often symptom-free for months or even years and do not cause any health problems. But as soon as the urinary stones in the renal pelvis or in the ureter become jammed, those affected usually suffer from considerable pain called colic, which arises primarily because the organism tries to relieve the blockage with the help of convulsive muscle contraction. According to the experts, around one in ten Germans are affected by painful urinary stones at least once during their lifetime. Today, not only the elderly but increasingly children are also at risk, „especially if they are severely overweight“, Professor Thomas Knoll told the news agency „DAPD“. „Urinary stones are a common disease with increasing frequency in Germany and other western industrialized countries“, stressed the expert. According to Knoll, the deposits can arise in the entire urinary tract and „Depending on the location, one then speaks of kidney stones, ureteral stones or bladder stones“.

Healthy diet and exercise can avoid urinary stones
Urinary stones are made up of crystals in the urine, which connect with each other and become larger over time, explained Professor Knoll. According to the experts, the crystalline deposits consist of calcium oxalate (calcium oxalate stones), ten percent of uric acid (uric acid stones) in 70 to 75 percent of the cases, and phosphate (phosphate stones) or cystine (cystine stones) in the other rarer cases. The occurrence of the urinary stone-forming crystals is significantly influenced in this context by the diet. „Many urinary stones are purely diet-related,“ emphasized the urologist Prof. Knoll. For example, uric acid stones form with uric acid supersaturation of the urine and, according to the experts, are favored by excessive consumption of meat and salt diets. In return, however, a vegetarian-basic diet can help to significantly reduce the risk of uric acid stones. According to Prof. Knoll, it is generally with regard to the risk of urinary stones „makes sense to eat less meat and to prefer vegetable foods“. In addition, risk patients such as overweight athletes through sports and a balanced diet should try to reduce their weight and thus prevent the occurrence of urinary stones.

Fluid intake crucial for urinary stone prevention
In addition to the change in eating habits and increased physical activity, adequate fluid intake is considered one of the key factors in preventing urinary stones. Although it is still a widespread misconception that already occurring complaints can be resolved by increased fluid intake, but drinking enough water or unsweetened drinks, can successfully prevent the formation of urinary stones, explained the experts of the German Society of Urology. However, alcoholic beverages are rather disadvantageous, as they increase the uric acid problem, reports Prof. Knoll and colleagues. Overall, the causes of urinary stones can be extremely diverse, but experts are primarily responsible for overweight and lack of physical activity as a result of the significant increase in the number of cases in industrialized countries. However, according to the experts also bladder emptying disorders, urinary tract infections, metabolic disorders and diseases of the small intestine can cause urinary stones. In addition to the severe abdominal pain (colic) are mentioned as other symptoms, for example, discomfort in urination (dysuria), blood in the urine (gross hematuria) and nausea and vomiting.

Medical treatment of urinary stones
For the treatment of urinary stones, there are various methods available in medicine ranging from the treatment of medicines through the use of sound waves to surgical interventions. The size and position of the urinary stones are crucial for the selection of the appropriate treatment method, explained Prof. Knoll. For example, smaller urinary stones can be spontaneously excreted with drug support and adequate hydration, with exercise and physical activity supporting this natural process, the urologist emphasized. Also, the urinary stones could be destroyed by concentrated sound waves, so that the organism can excrete them naturally, explained Prof. Knoll. In the context of the so-called minimally invasive therapy methods, a puncture through the skin can take place in unfavorable position of the urinary stones, which, however, represents a considerably larger intervention for the patient than the destruction of the urinary stones by sound waves. In addition, lasers are also used to destroy the urinary stones (laser lithotripsy), whereby the crystals are also to be dissolved and excreted naturally. (Fp)

Also read:
Losing weight through acupuncture
White blood cells in the urine

Image: Thommy Weiss