Kidney Stones

What are Kidney Stones?

Your kidneys filter waste products out of your blood and flush them out of your body as urine. Sometimes, mineral deposits crystalize in your kidneys, forming tiny stones.

Kidney stones vary in size and usually consist of calcium or uric acid. You typically don’t develop any symptoms until the stone starts to move around your kidney or through your ureters, bladder, and urethra.

What are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Pain is the hallmark symptom of kidney stones. They typically cause pain in your lower back and sides and painful, burning urination. Other signs of kidney stones include:

• Intense urge to urinate

• Frequent urination

• Hematuria (blood in your urine)

• Dark-colored urine

• Nausea and vomiting

• Fever

A man might have pain in the tip of his penis if he has kidney stones. You should never ignore any of these symptoms and should seek professional help if you suspect kidney stones.

How are Kidney Stones Diagnosed?

Your doctor begins by reviewing your symptoms and medical history. If they suspect you have a kidney stone, the doctor will order additional testing, including urine and blood tests, CT scans, and X-rays.

If you pass a kidney stone, they send it to a lab for testing to identify what type you have. Calcium and uric acid kidney stones respond to different medications.

How are Kidney Stones Treated?

The team at Urology Associates offers customized treatment plans for kidney stones to address your specific needs.

If you have small stones that don’t cause disruptive symptoms, your doctor might recommend drinking more water, using pain relievers like ibuprofen, or taking medicine to help relax the muscles in your ureters to allow the stone to pass easily.

However, if your stones are larger and your symptoms more severe, your doctor might suggest extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). ESWL uses sound waves to break up your kidney stones into smaller pieces that can pass through your urinary tract with fewer symptoms.

In severe cases, your doctor might recommend percutaneous nephrolithotomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the stone from your kidney or break it into smaller pieces.

If you are in pain and suspect kidney stones, call us to make an appointment for expert diagnosis and treatment.