According to their size, location, and type, kidney stones are typically treated by medical professionals. Your urinary tract may be able to pass small kidney stones untreated. A medical practitioner might instruct you to capture kidney stones in a particular container if you can pass them. To identify the sort of kidney stone, a medical practitioner will submit it to a lab. If you can move a kidney stone along, a medical practitioner can urge you to drink lots of fluids. Additionally, medical experts may recommend painkillers.
Causes of Kidney Stone
Kidney stones are hard deposits consisting of minerals and salts that develop inside your kidneys. These can be considered renal calculi, nephrolithiasis, or urolithiasis. Kidney stones can be caused by a variety of factors, including diet, excess body weight, various medical conditions, specific supplements, and drugs. Any section of your urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder, might be impacted by kidney stones. Although passing kidney stones can be extremely painful, if they are caught early enough, they typically don’t result in permanent harm.
Symptoms of Kidney Stone
Until a kidney stone moves around or enters one of the ureters, symptoms are typically not present. The tubes connected to the kidneys and bladder are called ureters. You can then experience the following signs:
- Excruciating, stabbing pain below the ribcage in the side and back
- Lower abdominal and groin pain that radiates
- Waves of varying severity
- Pain or a burning feeling when urinating
Kidney Stone Treatment
Depending on the etiology and type of stone, many treatments are available for kidney stones.
Small stones with minimal symptoms
Most kidney stones can be treated non-invasively. You might be able to ignore a little stone:
- Consuming water: Drinking up to 2 to 3 quarts (1.8 to 3.6 liters) of liquid each day can keep your urine diluted and help to ward off the development of kidney stones. Drink enough liquid, ideally primarily water, until your urine is clear or almost clear unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.
- Painkillers: Small stones might be uncomfortable to pass. Your doctor might prescribe ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and other brands) or naproxen sodium to treat minor pain (Aleve).
- Medical treatment: To aid with the passage of your kidney stone, your doctor might prescribe a drug. An alpha blocker, a class of drugs, relaxes the ureter’s muscles to aid kidney stone passage more swiftly and painlessly.
Large stones and those that cause symptoms
Larger kidney stones that can’t pass naturally or that result in bleeding, kidney damage or recurrent UTIs may need more intensive care. Procedures could consist of:
- Smashing stones using sound waves: Depending on the size and location of the kidney stone, your doctor may advise extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The ESWL procedure employs sound waves to produce powerful shock waves that shatter the stones into minute fragments that can be eliminated through urine. You may be given sedation or light anesthetic to make you more comfortable during the 45 to 60-minute procedure, which can be uncomfortable and cause moderate pain.
- Kidney stone surgery to remove very big stones: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a treatment where a kidney stone is surgically removed using small telescopes and tools placed through a tiny incision in your back.
- Taking out stones with a scope: Your doctor may insert a thin, lighted tube (ureteroscope) with a camera into your ureter through your urethra and bladder to remove a tiny stone from your ureter or kidney.
- Surgery on the parathyroid gland: The parathyroid glands, which are found on the four corners of your thyroid gland, right below your Adam’s apple, can become hyperactive and lead to the formation of some calcium phosphate stones. Your calcium levels may become excessively high because of hyperparathyroidism, which is when these glands create too much parathyroid hormone, which may lead to the formation of kidney stones.
When to see a doctor
If you experience any signs or symptoms, schedule a visit with your doctor. Immediately seek medical help if you experience:
- You are in such pain that you are unable to remain motionless or find a comfortable position.
- Experiencing pain, nausea, and vomiting
- The presence of pain, fever, and chills
- Urine with blood in it
- Difficulty urinating
You can approach Dr. Saket Narnoli. He is a well-known urologist in Dhanbad, known for treating patients with the utmost care and following proper protocols.