Always seek immediate medical attention if you are suffering strong pain. Small stones in the kidney do not usually cause problems, so there is often no need to remove them. A doctor specialising in the treatment of kidney stones is the best person to advise you on treatment. New surgical techniques have reduced hospital stay time to as little as 48 hours. Treatments include:. For most people with recurrent calcium stones, a combination of drinking enough fluids, avoiding urinary infections, and specific treatment with medications will significantly reduce or stop new stone formation.
Certain medications such as thiazide diuretics or indapamide reduce calcium excretion and decrease the chance of another calcium stone. Potassium citrate such as Hydralyte, Pedialyte and Urocit-K or citric juices are used to supplement thiazide treatment and are used by themselves for some conditions where the urine is too acidic.
For people who have a high level of uric acid in their urine, or who make uric acid stones, the medication allopurinol will usually stop the formation of new stones. A kidney stone can form when substances such as calcium, oxalate, cystine or uric acid are at high levels in the urine, although stones can form even if these chemicals are at normal levels.
Medications used for treating some medical conditions such as kidney disease, cancer or HIV can also increase your risk of developing kidney stones. A small number of people get kidney stones because of certain medical conditions that lead to high levels of calcium, oxalate, cystine or uric acid in the body. Many kidney stones are discovered by chance during examinations for other conditions. Urine and blood tests can help with finding out the cause of the stone.
Further tests may include:. If you pass a stone, collect it and take it to your doctor for analysis. Analysis of a stone can help to determine what type it is, what caused it to form, what treatment to provide, and how to prevent formation of further stones in the future.
Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to that of a pearl or even larger. They can be smooth or jagged, and are usually yellow or brown. A large stone may get stuck in the urinary system. This can block the flow of urine and may cause strong pain.
Kidney stones can cause permanent kidney damage. Stones also increase the risk of urinary and kidney infection, which can result in germs spreading into the bloodstream. If you have had one kidney stone, some tips that may help to prevent a second stone forming include:.
Drinking mineral water is fine — it cannot cause kidney stones because it contains only trace elements of minerals. Only lower your calcium intake below that of a normal diet if instructed by your doctor. In some cases, you might need medication or a nonsurgical procedure to help the stone pass. Common medications and treatments are:. Dehydration is also common with kidney stones and can require intravenous fluids.
You should see your doctor immediately if you start vomiting or have other signs of severe dehydration. If you think you might have a kidney stone, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. In some circumstances, your doctor might recommend immediate surgical removal without a waiting period. This will usually be because the stone is too big to pass naturally larger than 6 mm or is blocking urine flow.
If the stone is blocking the flow of urine, it can lead to an infection or renal damage. In other circumstances, your doctor might recommend waiting to see if you can pass the stone on your own.
You should check in with your doctor often during this time to see if anything is changing, especially if you have new symptoms.
Infection, fever, kidney damage, intractable hard to control pain, or intractable vomiting are all indications for immediate surgery. Kidney stones can be very painful, but they often resolve without medical treatment. If you think you have a kidney stone, see your doctor as soon as possible to help you decide the best course of action.
Generally speaking, the larger the stone, the longer it will take to pass on its own. You may be able to wait it out, or your doctor may recommend medical intervention. Having a kidney stone makes you more likely to have more kidney stones in the future. To reduce your risk of developing more stones, make sure you drink enough water to keep your urine light yellow or clear, and eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in salt.
The most common home remedies for kidney stones involve drinking different fluids, including just water, to help flush your stones out and prevent new…. Learn which foods to eat and avoid on a kidney stone diet.
Struvite stones are not a common type of stone. These stones are related to chronic urinary tract infections UTIs. Some bacteria make the urine less acidic and more basic or alkaline. Magnesium ammonium phosphate struvite stones form in alkaline urine.
These stones are often large, with branches, and they often grow very fast. People who get chronic UTIs, such as those with long-term tubes in their kidneys or bladders, or people with poor bladder emptying due to neurologic disorders paralysis, multiple sclerosis, and spina bifida are at the highest risk for developing these stones.
Cystine is an amino acid that is in certain foods; it is one of the building blocks of protein. Cystinuria too much cystine in the urine is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder. It is when the kidneys do not reabsorb cystine from the urine. When high amounts of cystine are in the urine, it causes stones to form.
Cystine stones often start to form in childhood. Common symptoms of kidney stones include a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side. This feeling often moves to the lower abdomen or groin. The pain often starts suddenly and comes in waves. It can come and go as the body tries to get rid of the stone. A major risk factor for kidney stones is constant low urine volume.
Low urine volume may come from dehydration loss of body fluids from hard exercise, working or living in a hot place, or not drinking enough fluids. When urine volume is low, urine is concentrated and dark in color. Concentrated urine means there is less fluid to keep salts dissolved. Increasing fluid intake will dilute the salts in your urine. By doing this, you may reduce your risk of stones forming. Adults who form stones should drink enough fluid to make at least 2.
On average, this will take about 3 liters ounces of fluid intake per day. While water is likely the best fluid to drink, what matters most is getting enough fluid. Diet can also affect the chance of forming a stone.
One of the more common causes of calcium kidney stones is high levels of calcium in the urine. High urine calcium levels may be due to the way your body handles calcium. It is not always due to how much calcium you eat. Lowering the amount of calcium in your diet rarely stops stones from forming. Studies have shown that restricting dietary calcium can be bad for bone health and may increase kidney stone risk. Health care providers usually do not tell people to limit dietary calcium in order to lower urine calcium.
But calcium intake should not be too high. Instead of lowering dietary calcium intake, your health care provider may try to reduce your urine calcium level by decreasing your sodium salt intake. Too much salt in the diet is a risk factor for calcium stones. This is because too much salt is passing into the urine, keeping calcium from being reabsorbed from the urine and into the blood.
Reducing salt in the diet lowers urine calcium, making it less likely for calcium stones to form. Because oxalate is a component of the most common type of kidney stone calcium oxalate , eating foods rich in oxalate can raise your risk of forming these stones. A diet high in animal protein, such as beef, fish, chicken and pork, can raise the acid levels in the body and in the urine.
High acid levels make it easier for calcium oxalate and uric acid stones to form. The breakdown of meat into uric acid also raises the chance that both calcium and uric acid stones will form. Certain bowel conditions that cause diarrhea such as Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis or surgeries such as gastric bypass surgery can raise the risk of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Diarrhea may result in loss of large amounts of fluid from the body, lowering urine volume. Your body may also absorb excessive oxalate from the intestine, resulting in more oxalate in your urine.
Both low urine volume and high levels of urine oxalate can help to cause calcium oxalate kidney stone formation. Obesity is a risk factor for stones.
Obesity may change the acid levels in the urine, leading to stone formation. Some medical conditions have an increased risk of kidney stones. Abnormal growth of one or more of the parathyroid glands, which control calcium metabolism, can cause high calcium levels in the blood and urine. This can lead to kidney stones. Another condition called distal renal tubular acidosis, in which there is acid build-up in the body, can raise the risk of calcium phosphate kidney stones.
Some rare, inherited disorders can also make certain types of stones more likely. Examples include cystinuria, which is too much of the amino acid cystine in the urine, and primary hyperoxaluria, in which the liver makes too much oxalate.
Some medications, and calcium and vitamin C supplements, may increase your risk of forming stones. Be sure to tell your health care provider all the medications and supplements you take, as these could affect your risk of stone formation. Do not stop taking any of these unless your health care provider tells you to do so. The chance of having kidney stones is much higher if you have a family history of stones, such as a parent or sibling.
Other people have their stones diagnosed when sudden pain occurs while the stone is passing, and medical attention is needed. When a person has blood in the urine hematuria or sudden abdominal or side pain, tests like an ultrasound or a CT scan may diagnose a stone. These imaging tests tell the health care provider how big the stone is and where it is located.
A CT scan is often used in the ER when a stone is suspected. It is used because it can make a quick and exact diagnosis. Treatment depends on the type of stone, how bad it is and the length of time you have had symptoms. There are different treatments to choose from.
It is important to talk to your health care provider about what is best for you. Often you can simply wait for the stone to pass. Smaller stones are more likely than larger stones to pass on their own. Waiting up to four to six weeks for the stone to pass is safe as long as the pain is bearable, there are no signs of infection, the kidney is not completely blocked and the stone is small enough that it is likely to pass.
While waiting for the stone to pass, you should drink normal amounts of water. You may need pain medication when there is discomfort. Certain medications have been shown to improve the chance that a stone will pass. The most common medication prescribed for this reason is tamsulosin. Tamsulosin Flomax relaxes the ureter, making it easier for the stone to pass. You may also need pain and anti-nausea medicine as you wait to pass the stone.
Kidney stones should be removed by surgery if they cause repeated infections in the urine or because they are blocking the flow of urine from the kidney. Today, surgery usually involves small or no incisions cuts , minor pain and minimal time off work. Shock waves are focused on the stone using X-rays or ultrasound to pinpoint the stone. Repeated firing of shock waves on the stone usually causes the stone to break into small pieces.
Purine is a naturally occurring…. In this article, we discuss 10 ways to…. Kidney stones form when minerals build up in the kidneys, usually due to not drinking enough fluid.
Learn about the types, causes, and symptoms, as…. A kidney infection, or renal infection, happens when bacteria infecting the bladder or urethra spread to at least one of the kidneys. In most cases…. What to know about passing a kidney stone. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. How long does it take? Speeding up the process Pain remedies Seeing a doctor Treatment Recovery Summary The kidneys are responsible for removing urea and excess minerals from the blood.
How long does passing a kidney stone take? Share on Pinterest Most kidney stones that are less than 4 mm will usually pass naturally. How to speed up the process. Remedies for pain. When to see a doctor. Share on Pinterest A person should talk to their doctor if they experience persistent pain in the back or side.
Treatment and surgery. Share on Pinterest A person may find pain medication helpful during their recovery. Latest news Could 'cupping' technique boost vaccine delivery? Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes.
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