Kidney Stone Symptoms for Women

Are there unique kidney stone symptoms for women? How do kidney stones form and are they detrimental to our bodies? How do they form and can they be prevented? Kidney stones can occur in men and women and will affect everyone differently.

What is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone (Nephrolithiasis) is not actually a rock but is made of a substance that creates a particle that is extremely hard, like a rock, and is found in the kidney. It is constructed of a crystalline mineral which is formed either within the urinary tract or in the kidney. Kidney stones may form and will never affect us; however, when the stone grows to a certain size and/or is located in a sensitive spot it can cause issues.

How are the stones formed?

The stones are formed from substances found within the urine and will typically form when urine volume is low or the substance they are made from is high. Dehydration, certain medications, heredity and even your diet can be causes of stones forming. These can be considered a preempt to kidney stone symptoms for women that women should take notice of. Although most kidney stones will pass unnoticed, there are stones that can cause excruciating pain.

Although men are more susceptible to developing kidney stones than women, women will still develop these unique stones at least once within their lifetime. Stones generally begin forming between the ages of 20 and 50 and once you have had one stone, that individual is more likely to experience another. This is something you don’t want to hear, but it is important to know as a preventative measure.

Kidney stone symptoms for women

Before the kidney stone symptoms for women are listed, it is important to restate that not all stones will cause any symptoms or at least the symptoms will be very mild and be quickly dismissed. In addition, not all of the symptoms will be experienced so it is important to know what the symptoms are.

One of the most common is pain. Pain can be that of cramping and excruciating which can be felt in the lower back, in the side, abdomen and even in the groin areas. The pain can be constant or come in waves. The pain can be so intense that the sufferer may experience nausea and vomiting too.

Other than pain, another common sign is blood in the urine. There may or may not be other symptoms occurring at the same time which could possibly lead you to think there may be something else wrong. An infection can also exist at the same time and make matters worse. Blood in the urine is a sign that something is wrong must not be swept under the rug.  You may think that perhaps you are dealing with a UTI and if misdiagnosed, the condition will quickly worsen and make matters worse.

Kidney stones can cause pain that you cannot compare to any other type of pain you may experience. Living right and eating healthy is important but so is knowing the kidney stone symptoms for women to keep your health on track.

Bladder Infection Symptoms in Women

Bladder infection symptoms in women should never go unaddressed. Anyone’s health, regardless of the sex, is important and when signs are showing that there is an issue the individual should take notice. A bladder infection may not seem too important but it is an infection and does require attention none the less.

Have you ever had a bladder infection? Oh my gosh; you do your best to drink water and get to the bathroom when the urge arises but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Before you know it, you are having issues that you just don’t have time for. The urinary tract is very important to remove unwanted waste so it its health must be maintained.

What happens is that bacteria manages to enter into the urinary tract via the urethra, continue traveling up further into the body and finally affecting the bladder and perhaps other parts of the urinary tract. There are a number of causes as to why bacteria enters into to the body. One of these causes are due to bacteria growing naturally around the vaginal area and enter during intercourse.

Another cause, which is very common, is waiting too long to head to the bathroom and urinate. In this situation, over time the bladder walls are stretched (due to holding a large amount) and eventually become weak and allow infection to set in if it gets the chance. In addition, if the bladder is not completely drained infection can also set in at this time too. What about the bladder infection symptoms in women?

The bladder infection symptoms in women are very common among all sexes and can all occur at once or individually. The most common symptoms are pain during urination and having an urge to urinate but are unable to or only a little urine is released. Although there are other symptoms that you should be aware of and these are: 

• bad, strong odor
• blood in urine
• pain in lower abdomen, sides and/or back
• chills
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• other vaginal infections

Keep in mind that not all of the bladder infection symptoms in women will occur when a bladder infection occurs. Generally, when the woman has pain when urinating they quickly seek medical help. If the condition is not addressed, the symptoms will worsen and possibly cause more medical issues and possibly irreversible damage.

The diagnosis is determined from taking a urine sample and checking for the bacteria and white blood cell count within the sample. If a pelvic exam is required, it may be done at the same time. If a positive diagnosis is given, then typically antibiotics are given. If UTI’s are reoccurring, a cystoscopy may be done. A custoscopy is when a tube is inserted up into the urethra into the bladder.

Treatment can last 3 or more days and includes drinking lots of fluids especially water. This is the time to recoup and let your body heal itself. Knowing what the bladder infection symptoms in women are will help prevent and minimize unnecessary discomfort and frustration of an UTI.

COPD Signs and Symptoms

Do you know what the COPD signs and symptoms are? There are so many medical ailments that we “must know about” today that it’s not funny. In addition, so many medical problems seem to have symptoms that are the same so correctly diagnosing the symptoms can sometimes be an issue.

The typical COPD signs and symptoms are a chronic cough, tightness in the chest, a shortness of breath and wheezing. These symptoms are very generalized and can occur for many other medical issues; however, these are symptoms that should not be ignored. If and when there is concern for a more thorough exam, there are tests that can be run to help the medical physician determine exactly what is ailing the patient.

What initiates COPD (by the way, this means Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and why does it drastically affect the sufferer? Over time, irritants negatively affect the lungs and cause the individual to have breathing difficulties. Irritants such as (but not limited to) smoke, air pollution and high levels of dust can all cause COPD of a period of time. Other causes are chronic asthmatic bronchitis and also emphysema; these two are actually two of the most common causes of COPD.

The COPD signs and symptoms can become so intense that it can cause breathing issues in which exhaling is a chore. Exhaling can be labor intensive at times due to the air ways being blocked. In regards to chronic asthmatic bronchitis, the blocked air passages cause coughing and wheezing. In addition, an increase of mucus occurs and adds to the blockage that is occurring.

With emphysema, the blockage is due to the collapse of the very tiny air sacs that are found within the lungs. When the air sacs are destroyed, the exchange of necessary oxygen for carbon dioxide is decreased which causes obvious breathing issues.

The best way to avoid COPD is to avoid situations which could possibly lead to this disease. We can’t always prevent every symptom but steps can be taken to greatly minimize the chances of being diagnosed with COPD. The biggest thing that one can do is to not smoke and if you do smoke to quit. If you currently smoke, find a program that you like to help you quit.

In regards to air pollutants, you can’t hold your breath forever. Like the air quality at work can even affect you and you have to breathe to do your job. Chemical fumes, high levels of dust and other particles can over time lead to COPD. Wearing a mask and/or other breathing apparatus can reduce the exposure to these particles than can harm your lungs.

To properly diagnosis the COPD signs and symptoms for those who have a history of breathing issues and smoke there are several tests that can be performed. These particular tests are done to verify the diagnosis so that the proper treatment(s) can be administered. Tests such as: 

• chest x-ray (checks for all possible lung issues)
• CT scan (multiple angles obtained/viewed during one test)
• arterial blood gas analysis (determines oxygen absorption levels in blood)
• sputum exam (analyzes mucus cells)
• pulmonary function tests (determining lung capacity inhaling and exhaling) 

Although this chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is common, it can be avoided if you are able to limit or refrain from being in circumstances in which the amount of air pollutants are very limited. Having a knowledge of the COPD signs and symptoms will help you seek medical help before the condition drastically affects your daily life.