Pregnancy is one of the most exciting and happiest periods in a woman's life. But sometimes the expectation of a baby is overshadowed by various he alth problems of the expectant mother. In recent years, women who are in an interesting position are increasingly diagnosed with diseases of the genitourinary system. One of the most common problems is kidney stones during pregnancy. The consequences and treatment of this disease will be described in today's article.
Peculiarities of kidney function during pregnancy
During all nine months from the moment of conception, the body of the expectant mother bears a double burden. And this applies to all organs, including the kidneys. During pregnancy, the latter have to process and remove from the body the waste products of not only the woman herself, but also the fetus. During this period, there is a significant increase inexcreted urine. In the last months of pregnancy, this figure rises to 1200-1600 milliliters.
In addition, progesterone present in the blood helps to reduce the tone of the bladder, resulting in stagnation of urine. The combination of these factors often leads to the fact that the expectant mother has kidney stones. During pregnancy, a fast-growing fetus puts pressure on a woman's internal organs. As a result, the risk of developing various pathologies increases significantly. To avoid serious he alth problems, you need to regularly visit a doctor from the fourth month of pregnancy and strictly follow his instructions.
Causes of the problem
There are several factors that cause a kidney stone to form during pregnancy. Most often, this pathology is associated with the changed hormonal background of a woman. In the body of the expectant mother, the concentration of progesterone increases sharply. This hormone not only prevents miscarriage, but also contributes to the appearance of kidney stones. It inhibits the activity of the smooth muscles of the urinary tract, which leads to the stagnation of urine.
An equally common reason why a kidney stone appears during pregnancy is a physiological decrease in immunity. It is this factor that most often provokes the development of inflammatory processes. Infection in the urinary tract, in combination with stagnant urine, contributes tostone formation.
An equally important role is played by a decrease in motor activity, leading to a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, and the diet of a pregnant woman. A future mother needs to carefully monitor her diet. During pregnancy, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of meat products, as they contribute to the formation of uric acid s alts.
Characteristic symptoms
Kidney stones during pregnancy (the treatment of this pathology will be discussed a little later) can be recognized by several main signs. As a rule, this ailment is accompanied by mild aching pains localized in the lower back. Sometimes they give to the stomach, thigh or perineum. If the stone has scratched the wall of the ureter or renal pelvis, then blood may appear in the urine.
Other signs that allow you to recognize this pathology include flatulence, nausea, fever and chills. Also, the vast majority of patients often experience vomiting and painful urination.
Diagnostic Methods
If there is the slightest suspicion of a kidney stone during pregnancy, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will recommend to undergo a number of laboratory tests and additional studies. All this will help in making an accurate diagnosis.
As a rule, in such cases, a general analysis of urine is prescribed (according to Nechiporenko or Zimnitsky), which allows to determine the concentrations alts, as well as blood biochemistry for urea and creatinine. In addition, the patient will be referred for an ultrasound of the kidneys. This is one of the safest research methods that allows you to identify pathology.
Pregnancy and kidney stones: what's the threat?
By themselves, they are not dangerous for the he alth of the unborn baby, since they have absolutely no effect on the formation of the organs and tissues of the embryo. A real threat arises only in the presence of a large stone that clogs the duct and causes stagnation of urine. Therefore, it is very important not to delay the treatment of this pathology. In cases where the disease is aggravated by an infectious lesion, there is a risk of infection of the placenta of the fetus.
In addition, a kidney stone during pregnancy is often accompanied by inflammation and pain. Severe colic accompanied by severe fever can cause premature birth or miscarriage. In addition, a stone moving along the ureter often provokes detachment of the fetal egg from the uterine wall.
What to do during an attack of colic?
As a rule, a sharp pain appears due to the fact that a kidney stone during pregnancy (we have already found out how dangerous this condition is for the he alth of the unborn baby) blocks the ureter and prevents the excretion of urine. Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to try to take a position in which it will budge and open the channel.
To relieve spasm, you can take an anesthetic drug recommendeddoctor. It is strictly forbidden to independently use any medications not prescribed by a doctor. During an attack of renal colic, it is forbidden to take warm relaxing baths and carry out any warming procedures.
How to treat kidney stones during pregnancy?
What to do in such situations, only the doctor should decide. As a rule, a decision is made on drug therapy. Operations during pregnancy are done only in exceptional cases. Surgical intervention is indicated only when the stones caused the development of a fast-flowing purulent process or provoked acute renal failure.
The treatment of kidney stones should be comprehensive. Therefore, taking drugs is almost always supplemented with a special diet. A special diet allows you to ease the work of the kidneys and makes the therapy more complete.
With urate stones, patients are advised to exclude meat from the diet. In this case, the diet is based on dairy and plant products. If a lot of calcium is found in the stones, then it is advisable to include cereals and meat in the menu. In this case, you need to completely abandon eggs, milk and legumes. They should also be excluded if oxalic acid is found in stones.
Prevention measures
Kidney stones, like any other pathology, are better prevented than treated later. Prevention comes down to correcting the diet, an active lifestyle, and taking herbal medicines prescribed by a doctor.
Woto avoid the formation of stones from the menu of a pregnant woman, it is necessary to completely remove carbonated drinks, smoked meats and fried foods. It is also undesirable to eat chicken eggs, potatoes, peanuts, chocolate and a large number of confectionery. Foods such as bananas, apples and watermelons have a beneficial effect on kidney function. To prevent urolithiasis, you can eat buckwheat and millet porridge.
As for drinks, it is recommended to use fresh juices, as well as herbal and berry decoctions to prevent the development of pathology. Lingonberries, blueberries and parsley are best suited for these purposes.
In addition, it is necessary to regularly visit a doctor and systematically take the required tests. All this will allow you to track the slightest malfunctions in the body and not miss the initial stage of the disease.
