Kidney stones are small and hard stones found in the renal pelvis or in the urinary tract. They are composed of acid and mineral salts and the stones can get stuck in the urinary tract causing strong and cramping pains.
Kidney stones have various causes and can affect any part of the urinary tract, from the kidneys to the bladder. The stones are usually forming whenever a person's urine becomes more concentrated, which in turn allows the minerals stick together by crystallization. Often kidney stones produce no symptoms at all, however they may be pretty painful when they pass outwards of the body. They normally leave no permanent damage behind.
When kidney stones reach the urinary tract and get stuck (where they are called urinary stones) they produce severe cramping pains (called renal colic), which can radiate out of the flank to belly or groin. Movement of the stones along the urinary tract lead to small injuries of the mucus membrane in the urinary tract, which causes bleeding and turns urine light pink.
Treatment consists of reducing complaints using painkillers and observing the patient. Small urinary stones generally flow out on their own and can be “strained” out with the urine. Larger stones, however need to be broken up with medication, shattered with sound waves, or removed with a ureteroscope. Removal is necessary, as kidney stones that clog up the ureter can cause urine to back up or they may cause an infection in the upper urinary tract (see the article on pyelonephritis), which can damage the kidneys.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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