The causes of kidney stones in children are complex. It is important to understand the symptoms to diagnose the problem. There is treatment to ease the pain that may occur.
Kidney stones seem to be common to adults that have sedentary life and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Nevertheless,
should you hear a young child struggling with kidney stones, that would be a totally different story.
Specialists say that before, children tend to be lesser prone to kidney stones simply because they are more healthy and more physically active. But, over the years, there's been a consistent increase in the lots of kids that are being affected by kidney stones. Perhaps because more and more kids today are living sedentary lives by being in front of the computer or by consuming foods that happen to be high in protein, calcium, and sodium.
Kidney Stones In Children
Studies show that most of the children who're prone to developing kidney stones are those that suffer from underlying health conditions which usually raises their danger of developing stones this early.
For moms and dads to be aware of how to deal with kidney stones in the event their own kids suffer from it, they must first understand every aspect regarding the condition. Having a wide knowledge of the condition can help parents trace possible causes, identify symptoms, and give fast response to the child in pain.
The same as in adults, you'll find different types of stones, that may be developed in a kid's system. This can either be "calcium oxalate" which is the most common and caused by excessive presence of calcium inside the urine, the "struvite stones," "uric acid stones," and "cystine stones." These types differ with regards to the quantity of a minerals found and their characteristics.
Parents would never realize if their children suffer from kidney stones if they're not familiar with its symptoms such as abdominal or back pain, blood within the urine or hematuria, vomiting or nausea, and also the often need to urinate. In young children, these types of symptoms can not simply be recognized, that's why there's a need to undertake laboratory analysis along with tests.
Due to the fact kidney stones isn't typical among young children, especially to younger ones, it's a must to recognize the risk factors present like:
- Possible track record of the kidney stones which usually makes children much more susceptible to the condition in the future. (Research has revealed that kids that have history of kidney stones will probably suffer from exactly the same problem in the next 10 to 20 years of his / her life.)
- Decreased fluid - particularly water - intake because it has an effect on the ideal quantity of urine that should be released regularly. (Should there be lower water or fluid intake, the chances of developing kidney stones are higher because there will be more concentration of substances that results in faster kidney stone development.)
- Volume of diet, particularly those high in animal protein such as beef, pork or lamb and chicken are likely to develop kidney stones simply because they have higher concentration of protein that is among the major causes of kidney stones. (Experts say that kids who consume a lot of protein are at risk in developing "calcium oxalate stones" as well as problems in terms of intestinal absorption.)
- Having a ketogenic diet which involves a minimal amount of carbohydrates which directly affects the levels of mineral intake;
- Experiencing cystic fibrosis;
- Suffering from urinary tract abnormalities such as dysfunction of the bladder or the kidneys;
- Some inherited disorders from the parents; and;
- Going through medications such as "furosemide," "allopurinol," and "acetazolamide" that are known to promote formation of urine crystals that leads to the development of kidney stones.
