Treatment

Treatment of kidney stones

Self-Care at Home:

• Prevention is always the preferable way to treat kidney stones. Remaining well hydrated and keeping the urine dilute will help prevent kidney stones from forming.
  
  
• Those who have never passed a kidney stone may not appreciate the severity of the symptoms. There is little a person can do with debilitating pain and vomiting other than seek emergency care. If this is the first episode and no previous diagnosis has been established, it is important to be seen by a physician as well. For those who have a history of stones, then home therapy may be appropriate. Most kidney stones, given time, will pass on their own, and treatment is directed towards symptom control. The patient should be instructed to consume oral fluids. Ibuprofen can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent, and if further pain medication is needed, contacting the primary care provider may allow stronger narcotic pain medication to be prescribed.
  
  
• Please note, if there is fever associated with the symptoms of a kidney stone, this becomes a more urgent problem, and medical care should be accessed immediately.

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Posted in: Gall Stones

Symptoms

Symptoms of kidney stones

Many kidney stones don't move and are too small to cause any symptoms. However, if a kidney stone causes a blockage, or moves into your ureter, you may:

• have severe pain or ache on one or both sides of your back
• get sudden spasms of excruciating pain - this usually starts in the back below your ribs, before radiating around your abdomen, and sometimes to your groin and genitals
• have bloody or cloudy urine
• feel sick or vomit
• feel a frequent urge to urinate, or a burning sensation during urination
• get fever and chills

You can also have these symptoms if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or cystitis. If you have one or more of these symptoms, you should ask your GP for advice.

The pain of kidney stones - referred to as 'renal colic' - can be very severe. It begins as soon as the stone becomes stuck in the ureter and tends to come in waves. It's not usually associated with the size of the kidney stone - sometimes small stones can cause more pain than very large ones.

Small kidney stones are usually passed out of the body within a day or so and mostly within four weeks of the onset of symptoms. The bigger the stone the less likely it is to pass out of the body spontaneously. Stones greater than 5mm (a quarter of an inch) in diameter are the least likely to pass without medical help.

If you're pregnant and have any symptoms of kidney stones, see your GP straight away.

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Posted in: Gall Stones

What do my kidneys do?

Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. The kidneys are sophisticated trash collectors. Every day, your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. The wastes and extra water become urine, which flows to your bladder through tubes called ureters. Your bladder stores urine until you go to the bathroom.

The wastes in your blood come from the normal breakdown of active muscle and from the food you eat. Your body uses the food for energy and self-repair. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, wastes are sent to the blood. If your kidneys did not remove these wastes, they would build up in the blood and damage your body.

In addition to removing wastes, your kidneys help control blood pressure. They also help make red blood cells and keep your bones strong.

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Posted in: Kidney Stones