What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
- Do I have a kidney stone or is there another reason for my symptoms?
- What type of kidney stone do I have?
- What size is my kidney stone?
- Where is my kidney stone located?
- How many kidney stones do I have?
- Do I need treatment or will I be able to pass the kidney stone?
- Should I be tested for kidney disease?
- What changes should I make to my diet?
- What type of procedure should I have to get rid of the stones?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Kidney stones can be frustrating at best and agonizingly painful at the worst. To stop your situation from getting worse, you should be evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. The pain can get severe, and surgery might be necessary. Remember: dont skip your prescriptions, drink lots of water and follow any dietary guidelines. Also, remember that kidney stones are a temporary condition. They wont bother you forever.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/03/2021.
References
Symptoms Generally Perceived When Kidney Stones Settle In The Urinary Bladder Are As Follows:
Pain is usually experienced around the lower abdominal area, just below the belly button. Small stones can easily move through the urethra, even though being narrow, during urination and often go unnoticed.
A little large-sized stone can get caught anywhere in the narrow width of the outlet duct causing painful urination. The urethral walls will create intermittent contractions in an attempt to expel the lodged stone out, and this action will create intense spasmodic pain around the groin area as well as pain during urine discharge.
Because of this intense pain sensation, urine flow is interrupted with a sudden inward pull of urine. Thus, some amount of urine will stay back in the urinary bladder. For this reason, the person will become aware of this frequent need to urinate, but will only successfully discharge small amounts of urine. This frequency appears to be more after retiring to bed.
The presence of microorganisms increases in number when urine gets accumulated, making the environment within the bladder apt for establishing persistent bacterial infections. When an infection sets in, the body attempts to fight and kill the bacteria by increasing body temperatures.
There is also this possibility for damages to occur in the walls of the urethra when the stone is discharged along with urine. This may emit some amount of blood resulting in bloody urine discharge.
What Are The Treatments For Kidney Stones
The treatment for a kidney stone depends on the size of the stone, what it is made of, whether it is causing pain and whether it is blocking your urinary tract. To answer these questions and to figure out the right treatment for you, your doctor might ask you to have a urine test, blood test, x-ray and/or CT scan. A CT scan sometimes uses contrast dye. If you have ever had a problem with contrast dye, be sure to tell your doctor about it before you have your CT scan.
If your test results show that your kidney stone is small, your doctor may tell you to take pain medicine and drink plenty of fluids to help push the stone through your urinary tract. If your kidney stone is large, or if it is blocking your urinary tract, additional treatment may be necessary.
One treatment option is shock wave lithotripsy. This treatment uses shock waves to break up the kidney stones into small pieces. After the treatment, the small pieces of the kidney stone will pass through your urinary tract and out of your body with your urine. This treatment usually takes 45 minutes to one hour and may be done under general anesthesia, which means you will be asleep and unable to feel pain.
In rare cases, a surgery called percutaneous nephrolithotomy is needed to remove a kidney stone. During the surgery, a tube will be inserted directly into your kidney to remove the stone. You will need to be in the hospital for two to three days to have and recover from this treatment.
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How Long Does It Take To Pass A Kidney Stone
The amount of time it can take for you to pass a kidney stone is different from anothers. A stone thats smaller than 4 mm may pass within one to two weeks. A stone thats larger than 4 mm could take about two to three weeks to completely pass.
Once the stone reaches the bladder, it typically passes within a few days, but may take longer, especially in an older man with a large prostate. However, pain may subside even if the stone is still in the ureter, so its important to follow up with your healthcare provider if you dont pass the stone within four to six weeks.
Treatment For Kidney Stones
Most kidney stones can be treated without surgery. Ninety per cent of stones pass by themselves within three to six weeks. In this situation, the only treatment required is pain relief. However, pain can be so severe that hospital admission and very strong pain-relieving medication may be needed. 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.
If a stone doesnt pass and blocks urine flow or causes bleeding or an infection, then it may need to be removed. New surgical techniques have reduced hospital stay time to as little as 48 hours. Treatments include:
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Can Kidney Stones Come Back
After the kidney stone has passed or after it is removed, another stone may form. People who have had a kidney stone in the past are more likely to get another stone in the future.
If you have had a kidney stone, talk with your health care professional about your risk of getting another one. Ask your health care professional what steps you can take to lower your risk of getting another kidney stone.
When And How Soon To See A Doctor If You Suspect A Stone
At the time of a first kidney stone attack, people often arent sure what is going on and need to be seen by a doctor to make sure the symptoms arent the result of a more serious problem, such as appendicitis, says Lieske.
As a general rule, you need to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Severe pain that makes sitting still or getting comfortable impossible
- Pain with nausea and vomiting
- Pain with fever and chills
- Blood in the urine
- A strong need to urinate
- A burning sensation while urinating
If you cant see your doctor that day, head to the ER.
If stone pain and fever develop, go directly to the ER, says Timothy F. Lesser, MD, a urologist at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. A kidney stone with a urinary tract infection may cause and must be treated immediately.
If urine is trapped behind a kidney stone that is blocking the ureter, the urine can become infected, says Seth K. Bechis, MD, a urologist at UC San Diego Health in San Diego. This, in turn, can cause an infection of the kidney tissue or result in the infection spreading to the bloodstream, causing sepsis, he explains.
While men are more prone to kidney stones than women, women are more likely to get UTIs, says Lieske. So its not surprising that women are also more likely to get a urinary infection associated with their kidney stones, he says.
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What Causes Kidney Stones
There are four types of kidney stones:
- Calcium stone:This is the most common type of kidney stone. Calcium that isnt used by your bones and muscles goes to your kidneys. Usually, the kidneys will get rid of the extra calcium through the urine. Calcium stones occur when some of the calcium remains in the kidneys and collects over time.
- Struvite stone:A struvite stone is more common in women. It usually forms after a chronic urinary tract infection. These stones are usually made of ammonia.
- Uric acid stone:A uric acid stone forms when there is too much uric acid in the urine. You may be at risk for this type of stone if you eat a high-protein diet or if youve received chemotherapy.
- Cystine stone: A cystine stone isnt very common. The disease that causes cystine stones to form runs in families and is called cystinuria.
How Can I Prevent Kidney Stones
There are several ways to decrease your risk of kidney stones, including:
- Drink water. Drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses every day . Staying hydrated helps you urinate more often, which helps flush away the buildup of the substances that cause kidney stones. If you sweat a lot, be sure to drink even more.
- Limit salt. Eat less sodium. You may want to connect with a dietician for help with planning what foods you eat.
- Lose weight. If youre overweight, try to lose some pounds. Talk to your healthcare provider about an ideal weight.
- Take prescriptions. Your healthcare provider may prescribe some medications that help prevent kidney stones. The type of medication may depend on the type of stones you get.
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Avoiding Recurrence Of Kidney Stones
If you have had one kidney stone, some tips that may help to prevent a second stone forming include:
- Talk to your doctor about the cause of the previous stone.
- Ask your doctor to check whether the medications you are on could be causing your stones. Do not stop your medications without talking to your doctor.
- Get quick and proper treatment of urinary infections.
- Avoid dehydration. Drink enough fluids to keep your urine volume at or above two litres a day. This can halve your risk of getting a second stone by lowering the concentration of stone-forming chemicals in your urine.
- Avoid drinking too much tea or coffee. Juices may reduce the risk of some stones, particularly orange, grapefruit and cranberry. Ask your doctor for advice.
- Reduce your salt intake to lower the risk of calcium-containing stones. Dont add salt while cooking and leave the saltshaker off the table. Choose low- or no-salt processed foods.
- Avoid drinking more than one litre per week of drinks that contain phosphoric acid, which is used to flavour carbonated drinks such as cola and beer.
- Always talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet.
Drinking mineral water is fine it cannot cause kidney stones because it contains only trace elements of minerals.
Shortness Of Breath After Very Little Effort
Why this happens:
Being short of breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.
What patients said:
At the times when I get the shortness of breath, itâs alarming to me. It just fears me. I think maybe I might fall or something so I usually go sit down for awhile.
I couldnât sleep at night. I couldnât catch my breath, like I was drowning or something. And, the bloating, canât breathe, canât walk anywhere. It was bad.
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What Are The Signs Of Kidney Stone In The Bladder
There are several signs that can indicate one has a kidney stone in the bladder, although in some cases there may be no symptoms at all. Patients may experience discomfort or pain in the lower abdomen. They may feel the need to urinate frequently, have difficulty urinating, or find it painful. Urine may come out darker colored than normal, or there may be blood in the urine. Sometimes the stone may lead to a urinary tract infection as well.
For some people, there is no sign that they have a kidney stone in the bladder. This is fairly common if the stone is very small, though it may even occur with larger stones. It may pass unnoticed from the kidney to the bladder and be passed from the body without the person ever knowing it was there.
A kidney stone in the bladder can cause pain, typically located in the lower part of the abdomen. This is different from the pain that occurs as the stone moves from the kidneys through the ureter to the bladder that pain, known as renal colic, is typically very sharp, comes in waves, and is felt in the area between the rib cage and the hip. In some cases, when the stone finally moves out of the ureter to the bladder, pain will actually decrease significantly or go away completely.
How To Treat Ureteral Stones Effectively
Ureteral stones treatment depends on the size and also the location of the stones. The underlying medical condition with kidney stones can also be taken into consideration to treat ureteral kidney stones.
In case of larger stones where your urinary tract is blocked, your doctor may conduct below ways to cure it
When it comes to modern treatment, it doesnt provide a lasting relief. And after some years of treatment, you may develop stones again. However, kidney cure in Ayurveda is the most effective cure to stones.
Choose kidney cure in Ayurveda to get rid of your ureteral stones naturally.
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How Can Your Ureteral Stones Detected
Your ureteral stones can be diagnosed by a physician using some medical tests. In which, he may
Ultrasound is the most effective test used to look for blockage. Apart from, a computed tomography Scan will tell your doctor about size, location and hardness of the stones.
What Are Kidney Stones
Healthy kidneys remove waste products from your blood. These waste products leave your body in the urine your kidneys make. When the waste products dont properly leave your kidneys, it can result in kidney stones.
A kidney stone is a hard, solid lump that forms in your kidney. The lump can be as small as a tiny pebble or it can be much bigger. Its made out of the waste products in your urine.
A kidney stone may stay in your kidney. It also may travel down the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the ureters, bladder, and the urethra. If the stone is big enough, it can get stuck in your kidney or urinary tract. This can be very painful.
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Can A Large Kidney Stone Cause An Injury
Your risk of injury from a kidney stone can go up based on the size and location of the stone. A larger stone could get stuck in a ureter, causing pressure to build up. This can lead to renal failure and, in the worst-case scenario, you could lose your kidney. The chance of passing a 1 cm stone is less than 10%, and stones larger than 1 cm typically dont pass.
Lets Now Understand Why You Should Not Leave Kidney Stones Untreated:
- Kidney stones can cause severe pain: When large kidney stones pass into the ureters, there is a possibility that they may get stuck there. This can cause blockage of the ureters and you may experience severe pain.
- Kidney stones increase the risk of UTIs: Kidney stones can block the ureters. They can also cause the narrowing of the ureters. In such a case, urine may build-up thereby increasing the strain on the kidneys. This also increases the risk of infections.
- Kidney stones can lead to infections in the kidney: In some cases, the kidney stones can get infected. The most common symptom of such an infection is fever with chills. This is an emergency situation and can even be life-threatening.
- Kidney stones can even lead to kidney failure: If you have a very large kidney stone and you leave it untreated, it may cause permanent damage to the kidney and even lead to kidney failure. The worst part is that this damage can occur even without any specific symptoms, which is why it is important to consult a specialist doctor.
Another trouble associated with kidney stones is that they have a tendency to reappear. If you have kidney stones, the chances of their recurrence in the next 5-7 years increases by 50 percent. This, in turn, increases the risk of recurrence of urinary tract infections and other problems.
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Some Of The Major Risk Factors For Kidney Stones Are:
- Family or personal history of the condition
- Obesity
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Some specific medications
One of the major factors that increase the risks of kidney stonesis the production of less than 1-liter urine per day. This is probably the reason why premature babies with kidney problems are more prone to developing kidney stones.
Kidney stones do not have any symptoms until they move around in the kidney. These are also sometimes called silent stones. However, once they start moving around in the kidney and pass into the ureter, symptoms may start surfacing. At this stage, you may experience severe and excruciating pain in the lower back. Men may experience pain in the groin area as well. Other symptoms of kidney stones include brown or red-colored urine, blood in the urine, urinating small amounts of urine and pain while urinating.
Also, kidney stones can worsen over time. If left untreated, kidney stones can lead to a number of complications.