Kidney stones tend to be so painful that they are unbearable. Many people are usually puzzled with the idea of why this pain only appears to aggravate at night. You are not imagining things, there is a couple of physiological and behavioral considerations involved, which turns nighttime into a rather unpleasant interval of time for a person that is experiencing kidney stones.
This blog will cover why kidney stones hurt at night, what to expect and the possible ways of going about the pain.
Knowing About Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are hard mineral-salt-based deposits that are solid in nature and occur within the kidneys. They may be very small or large enough as a golf ball in size. These rocks can remain in the kidneys or fall through the urinary system where they can induce pain, obstruction and infections.
Just a few common kinds of kidney stones are:
- Stones Calcium oxalate diester (the most frequent)
- Stones that are made up of uric acid
- Struvite stones
- Cystine stones
Characteristic complaints of stone in the kidneys
Not all the kidney stones always cause a symptom unless they start to move or obstruct the urinary tract. In case that occurs, there might be the following symptoms:
- Rigid back pain, side, or lower abdomen
- I have pain in urination.
- Urine that contains blood (hematuria)
- The feeling to urinate often
- Vomiting and nausea
- Chill and fever (in case of infection)
The pain of kidney stones increases at night, why?
The pain of kidney stones (renal colic) may vary during the day. Nonetheless, most patients say that their pain appears to be more pungent or intolerable during the night. Here’s why:
1. Gravity and Body Position
Body position and gravity forms the basis of the design and therefore, the second prerequisite is the body position in relation to gravity.
When you go to bed to sleep, there is no longer the force of gravity, helping urine drain out of the kidneys through the natural way. The thin tube that takes urine to the bladder (the ureter) can become more narrow in some positions, especially when one is lying on one side. It may raise pressure and make stones irritate or block the ureter, so more pain brings.
2. Reduced Liquid consumption
Before going to bed, most people minimize the amount of fluids that they take in order to prevent the need to use the toilet at night. But, the opposite of the former is more concentrated urine which irritates the urinary tract and exacerbates the inflammation. The slow urine drainage may also increase difficulty in the movement of small stones hence stagnation and pain.
3. Enhanced Kidney Activity in the Nighttime
Kidney is still able to filter the blood even when one is sleeping. Urine of people with a high-protein or high-salt diet, particularly in those who have a higher protein diet, can be further concentrated during overnight. This more dilute concentration can then initiate more crystal forming or illness ailment improvement in inflammation that thus increases pain.
4. Sensitivity to Pain Increased at Night
The experience of pain may increase at night in our body. When we are at rest, there are fewer distractions, which makes the brain more receptive to pain messengers. Nighttime also decreases the production of cortisol, the natural chemical anti-inflammatory in the body which can heighten the level of pain.
5. Muscle Relaxation
The muscles such as those in the urinary track become more relaxed at the night. This may seem to be good; however, it will impair the strength of muscular contractions (peristalsis) that aid in passing of kidney stones down the ureter. When a stone gets stuck, then that creates more pressure, and more pain.
6. Obstruction Progression
As long as a stone is in motion, it might change a little and then get fully trapped in the ureter at night. This development may intensify nighttime episodes further and become unexpected.
How To Take Care of Night Pain?
Although the way treatment is performed depends on the size and location of kidney stones, you can do some things that would help alleviate the pain at night:
- Be hydrated throughout the day
Be sure that all day long you drink a lot of water so that your urine is diluted and less irritating to the urinary system.
- Change the Sleeping Position
Consider sleeping on the side of the pain or lying on the back and resting the legs a tad bit higher to minimize the pressure on the kidneys.
- Heating Pad
Putting a warm compress on the lower back can also aid in the loosening of muscles and reducing the pain.
- It is best to avoid high-oxalate foods at night
Increase urinary concentration during the day by reducing intake of oxalate-rich foods spinach, beets, chocolate and nuts during the later part of the day.
- Use Prescriptive drugs
Pain medications or alpha-blockers to relax the ureter and improve the flow of stones may also be prescribed by doctors.
- Prompt Health Care
In case the pain is unbearable, in case it is accompanied by fever, or vomiting, or in case it leads to blood spots in urine, prompt medical attendance should be obtained.
Kidney Stones – Treatment Options
The kind of treatment is quite dependent on the size and location of the stone:
Smaller stones (<5mm) can be dislodged spontaneously when drinking more fluids and taking medicine.
Stones that are larger may necessitate:
- Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS)
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)
- Ureteroscopy
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
- Laser lithotripsy
This can be determined by making appropriate diagnosis through ultrasound, X-rays, or CT scan.
Conclusion
Kidney stone pain is bad enough in itself when it occurs in the daytime, however, when it takes on a new level during the night, it can seriously interfere with sleep and all types of wellness. Knowledge of the reasons behind the occurrence of this can provide you with useful information when it comes to both handling your pain, and finding the correct treatment.
When you have frequent or severe attacks of kidney stones, Dr. Deepanshu Gupta is available. Dr. Gupta being one of the best and experienced kidney stone doctors in Gurgaon has treated and assisted many patients to get rid of the stone-related pains and resume normal life, which otherwise remains tough. He provides the utmost care in urological practice with the help of sophisticated diagnostic equipment and noninvasive treatment opportunities.
Make your booking now and be on your way to comfort.