Gallstones vs. kidney stones is one of the most frequently asked questions in the medical field. Do you come here to know its answer? Fret not; just keep reading, and we will clear up all your doubts.
The key difference between gallstones and kidney stones is that gallstones are related to your digestive system, while kidney stones are related to your urinary system. Gallstones are formed from digestive fluid, while kidney stones are made due to the chemicals in urine, but both of these can be painful.
This brief guide will explain the differences between both of these diseases in detail, including their causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Stay with us till the end to learn all of this information.
What’s The Difference Between Gallstones And Kidney Stones?
The only similarity between gallstones and kidney stones is that both of these are stones in your body, but they are completely different. It is because both of these affect different organs in your body. Similarly, the causes, symptoms, and treatments of both of these diseases are different as well. Let’s start with a short introduction to both of these diseases.
What Are Gallstones?
Gallstones are like small rocks that form in your gallbladder. It is a part of your body located near the liver. They are formed when bile gets out of balance and hardens. These can be both tiny and big. They can be painful. Moreover these can also make you feel really bad in your stomach, throw up or even turn yellow.
What Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are hard lumps made of stuff in your pee in your kidneys. Your kidneys are responsible for cleaning your blood and making you pee. They can be both small and large. These can be very painful when stones try to get out with pee.
Symptoms Of Gallstones Vs Kidney Stones?
As there is a difference between both of these diseases, similarly, there is a difference in their symptoms as well. Although there may be some common symptoms like nausea and fever, there are also some different ones as well. Let’s take a look at both of them.
Gallstones Symptoms
Gallstones symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dark-coloured urine
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Fever and chills
- Jaundice
Kidney Stone Symptoms
There are multiple symptoms you may notice if you have kidney stones. Following are some of its common symptoms:
- Chills
- Nausea
- Blood in urine
- Increased urinary frequency
- Fever
- Lower abdominal or side pain
- Vomiting
- Severe lower back pain
Treatments
There are different treatment options for both of these diseases, even though there may be different treatments for the same disease depending on your symptoms. Get a diagnosis and follow the treatment recommended by your doctor. He will suggest the most suitable one according to your condition. Following are a few common ones for both of these diseases.
Gallstones Treatment
There are two basic treatments for gallstones. These are medications to dissolve it and surgeries.
- Medications: These medications are prescribed to dissolve the stones. These help in easing discomfort and prevent their further formation as well.
- Gallbladder removal surgery: If the condition is worse then you may need gallbladder removal surgery. It will completely remove the source of stones and prevent further attacks.
Kidney Stone Treatment
There are multiple treatment options for kidney stones as well. These vary depending on the size of the stone and several other factors. Follow the method suggested by your doctor.
- Shock-wave lithotripsy: The first treatment method for kidney stones is shock-wave lithotripsy. It is a non-invasive method in which stones are broken with the help of shock waves.
- Ureteroscopy: The next common treatment is ureteroscopy. It is a surgery in which doctors directly remove stones from the ureter using a small scope.
- Nephrolithotomy: The last one is nephrolithotomy. This treatment option is used for most severe cases where there are complex or large stones.
Risk Factors
There are multiple risk factors for both of these diseases. There may be some common ones, but they are different due to the difference in disease type.
Gallstones Risk Factors
The risk factors for gallstones include:
- Medications containing estrogen
- Having a family history
- Eating a high-fat diet
- Older than 40
- More common in females
- Eating a high-cholesterol diet
- Liver disease
- Weight loss
- Eating a low-fiber diet
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Diabetes
- Having leukemia, sickle anemia, or any other blood-related disease
- having a sedentary lifestyle
Kidney Stone Risk Factors
These are the risk factors for kidney stones:
- Dehydration
- Warm and dry climate
- Certain medical conditions, like hyperparathyroidism, renal tubular acidosis, etc.
- Family history
- Having previous kidney stones
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Having diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, etc.
- Repeated urinary tract infections
- A high-protein diet
- A high-sodium diet
- Obesity
- Medications and supplements like migraine medications and antidepressants.
Final Words
Hopefully now you will have the answers to Gallstones vs. Kidney Stones. As the name indicates, gallstones affect the gallbladder, while kidney stones are in the kidney. This is the major difference, and due to it, their symptoms and treatments are also different.
But obesity and digestive issues are two common risk factors for both of these conditions. Obesity is the reason for several other conditions except these two as well. That’s why you should be careful with your diet and manage your weight. Follow the treatments prescribed by your doctor in case you are affected by any of these conditions.