What is Sand in The Kidneys
1. When the kidney fails to dispose of waste as it should, waste products such as urea and creatinine are reabsorbed through the tubules back into the bloodstream. This is called tubular reabsorption.
If there is a build-up of uric acid in the body, too much uric acid may be reabsorbed, resulting in watery, acidic urine. If sufficient amounts of liquid are lost by urination, dehydration occurs due to urinary concentration, predisposing an individual to renal calculi (stones).
Once ingested, crystals can combine with calcium salts forming crystalline compounds that settle at the bottom of the collecting ducts within the kidneys or begin traveling towards other parts of this organ.
The condition usually presents without symptoms. However, if the crystals are large enough, they may irritate the surrounding tissues. Over time this can lead to chronic pain and sometimes infection in areas of needle insertion for dialysis.
2. If sand is present in your kidneys, it means that small pieces of material have worked their way through the filtering system. These fragments could be composed of calcium, uric acid, oxalate, cystine, or other materials.
Sometimes the source cannot be precisely identified. Still, these substances are typically found in certain food items or supplements containing vitamin D or phosphorus/phosphate salts (i.e., sevelamer carbonate) given during renal treatment, which enhances blood flow throughout kidney tissue to help reduce congestion in the venous system. In rare cases, internal bleeding from urinary stones can lead to the formation of pieces that appear like sand in your kidneys.
3. Asteroid hyalinosis is an ophthalmic condition involving calcium oxylapatite crystals and is characterized by parafoveal and peripapillary deposits which look like sand under a polarized light microscope.
This condition is usually asymptomatic but may lead to minor visual disturbances such as glare during night driving or color vision changes with the long-term development of these crystalline deposits within the retina and vitreous bodies.
Although asteroid hyalinosis may be a normal finding in older people, systemic diseases such as malnutrition, diabetes mellitus, and sickle cell anemia are risk factors associated with the pathogenic development of these deposits.
4. Calcium oxylapatite deposition disease is an ocular condition typically affecting young Asian women characterized by the presence of slowly progressive subcapsular, subhyaloid or subretinal calcium oxylapatite crystals with no pathological changes to underlying tissue.
The majority of cases are asymptomatic, with only a few patients reporting mild visual disturbance with glare during night driving or color vision change in later stages.
5 Serum calcium level is the most common biochemical abnormality observed in calcium-containing renal calculi, followed by increased serum phosphate and uric acid concentrations. In contrast, there are usually standard urinary chemistries in stones composed of pure calcium oxylapatite, making it difficult to differentiate from idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis.
Sand in kidneys Treatment:
When it comes to treating diseases of the kidneys, one must know that several kidney diseases can occur. A disease is a particular abnormal condition that affects part or all the body system and prevents this vital organ’s normal working. There are more than 200 diseases for this gland alone.
Symptoms of kidney damage may begin gradually with pain in your back or side or blood in your urine, while other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting may be instant. Generally, illness occurs when an individual has some infection, including a virus, bacteria, or parasite.
The kidneys’ primary function is filtering waste from the bloodstream and removing them through urine which means if they get sick, so will your health because their work depends on how efficient they are.
It is imperative to know the symptoms of kidney diseases because it makes identifying what kind of illness your body is suffering from. If necessary, go straight to the doctor without wasting any time.
Sand in urine symptoms:
The most common symptoms of kidney disease include:
1. Back pain or flank pain:
This is one symptom that you can relate to the kidneys because it results from a problem with this organ. The patient may also experience extreme tiredness and weakness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. Some people who suffer from kidney disease complain of passing out (fainting), but if they do not faint, they feel like lying down all the time and experiencing constipation followed by diarrhea.
2. Urine changes:
For those with some degree of kidney damage, urine will be dark in color and become strong-smelling and painful when passing out through the urethra. If your urine is yellowish or even orange, then it is time you get it checked out by the doctor because this indicates something wrong with your kidneys.
3. Bad Breath:
Are you suffering from bad breath? Then see a doctor immediately because this could be an early sign of kidney failure, and if left untreated, it can lead to other serious health issues.
4. Itchy skin:
Many patients who suffer from kidney disease complain of having dry skin that looks pale or has orange patches all over their bodies. This is very common among people suffering from diabetes mellitus, which affects the organs, including kidneys and liver, and those suffering from high blood pressure and heart problems.
5. Swelling:
Some people who have experienced significant kidney damage will notice swelling in their feet and legs, and this is body fluid that has been retained in the tissues.
6. Dizziness:
If you feel dizzy and light-headed a lot, this could indicate kidney damage because your heart depends on the kidneys to supply it with blood and remove waste from it when these fail to function correctly, yes! You will experience dizziness as well as other symptoms mentioned above.
Sand in urine treatment:
The treatment of kidney damage will depend on what is causing it and how severe it is. The individual may need to undergo dialysis and medication, which depends on the cause of the kidney disease in the first place.
In some cases, people have been able to reverse kidney damage without going through the painful dialysis treatment, and all it takes is a change of lifestyle. For instance, if you are a smoker or a diabetic, this will contribute to why your kidneys may not be working correctly. Hence, you need to stop smoking and reduce the level of sugar in your body if necessary.
Other things can contribute to high blood pressure, which makes it essential for you to watch what you eat, such as salt (sodium) and processed food, because they can cause fluid accumulation in your system that could lead to swelling or even high blood pressure.
Another vital thing to do is reduce your weight because if you are overweight, the chances are that this will put a lot of stress on your kidneys and can contribute to kidney failure in the future.
Relax -If there is one thing that will help people get healthy, it is relaxation. Stress can cause inflammation, leading to more problems for the body, including diseases like heart conditions, kidney failure, and even cancer, so make sure you find the time or ways to relax, such as meditation or yoga.