Kidney Stones

When the stone moves through the urinary tract you might experience the following symptoms :

• Severe pain in the back, abdomen or pelvic area.
• Frequent and/or painful urination.
• Burn like sensation during urination.
• Hematuria – blood in urine.
• Severe discomfort.
• Nausea and vomiting. Small stones can sometimes pass through the urinary tract without symptoms, but in the case of severe intense pain in the back or abdomen, it is advisable one requests medical assistance.

• Male patients.
• People who don’t drink enough liquids.
• Are in between the ages of 30 and 60.
• Have a family medical history that includes kidney stones.

There are more types of kidney stones depending on the composition of the chemical imbalance that determine them in the first place :

• Calcium or calcium oxalate stones are the most frequent.
• Struvite stones usually form after urinary tract infections and are high in crystalized magnesium and ammonia;
• Uric acid stones occur at persons who have a highly acidic urine.
• Cystine stone are rare and usually occur if there is a family history of kidney stones of this kind. In diagnosing kidney stones radiographic tests like ultrasound, intravenous pyelogram and computerized tomography are used to indicate the size and location of the stones. These investigations have proven their utility also in determining the potential risks related to natural elimination of the stone and whether an intervention is required and/or a more aggressive treatment.

If the case of a very small stone, the doctor might recommend anti pain medication and wait for it to go through the urinary tract to be naturally eliminated from the body. During this time, the patient needs proper fluid intake to maintain diluted urine. The specialist might also advise a specific diet to be followed. There are more treatment strategies for kidney stones. The doctor might favor one or the other, considering the size and location of the stone and also the treatment that has been followed so far: Therapeutic methods for kidney stones :

• Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy : with the help of a machine, a shock wave is directed to the stone and it will break it to tiny segments that can be naturally eliminated after.
• Surgery: is recommended if the stone is causing an obstruction in the urinary tract.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, used when the kidney stones are big.
• Ureteroscopy.