You might have heard of the term ‘kidney stones’ before, but that name doesn’t give a lot of information, and it could be that you’re still unsure about exactly what kidney stones are and, even more importantly, why they need to be treated and shouldn’t just be left.
The issue is that kidney stones can cause a lot of damage and be extremely detrimental to your health if they are not treated. With that in mind, read on to find out more about kidney stones and what you should do if you have them.
How Do Kidney Stones Form?
Before we look into why kidney stones should be treated, it’s a good idea to understand more about what they are and how they are formed. Kidney stones are made up of minerals such as oxalate and calcium that form into tiny crystals. The crystals join together and become much larger, and the result is a kidney stone.
Kidney stones can be any size, from very small (perhaps the same size as a grain of sand) to much larger (the size of a golf ball, for example). No matter what size they are, kidney stones can cause a lot of discomfort at best and pain at worst.
Now you know what a kidney stone is, let’s look at why they need to be treated, ideally by a kidney stone specialist.
1. Pain Relief
As we’ve said, kidney stones can be extremely painful, and that pain is usually constant. This means that you will find it hard to go about your daily business because you’ll be in agony the entire time. You won’t be able to work productively, you won’t be able to take care of your children or pets, and you won’t be able to sleep.
Since lack of sleep makes general chores much harder anyway, this will all cumulate in a very difficult time. In the end, this could even lead to mental health issues like stress and depression.
It’s terrible to be in pain, and when it affects every aspect of your life, it’s something that can’t simply be left to handle itself. When you see a kidney stone expert to help you, you’ll get the pain relief you need, and your kidney stones will be dealt with.
2. Prevention of Additional Complications
Another big problem with kidney stones is that they can lead to other health issues if they are left untreated. One example of this is that a kidney stone could cause a blockage in the urinary tract. If this happens, your urine won’t be able to flow normally, and this could lead to an infection in the bladder.
In the worst cases, kidney stones can cause damage to the kidneys themselves, and that could lead to kidney failure.
It’s clear that getting your kidney stones treated sooner rather than later is the best option.
3. Reduce the Risk of Reoccurrence
If you were to leave your kidney stones untreated and they didn’t cause major health issues as we mentioned above, they would still be a problem. Apart from the pain you would be experiencing, it’s highly likely that a small number of kidney stones will lead to many more over time.
However, it has been shown that by treating kidney stones early on, the ones you have will be removed, and there is less chance of reoccurrence, keeping you healthier in general.
Also read: What Happens When You Die? According to Expert and Doctors?
