Kidney Stones

How are kidney stones treated?

Source: Diana Hysi

Treating Kidney Stones

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually used to treat and alleviate the pain, and in cases of severe pain, tramadol may be used. In the case of infection, antibiotics may be used.

The size and positioning of the stones which may be verified via an echo. When the stones are deposited in the calyx of the kidney, ureter or the bladder, and have a small diameter, the patient is recommended liquids, physical activity, tepid water bath, in the hopes of excreting the stones while urinating.

Otherwise, if the stone is found in other positions and is too large, and has been resting in that area for a significant amount of time which stands to cause damage to the kidney, lithotripsy (melting the stones) or surgery is employed.

Articles for Kidney Stones

Causes

Find out what causes kidney stones. They're usually the result of a build-up of a substance such as calcium, ammonia or uric acid in the body.

Diagnosis

Find out how kidney stones are diagnosed. Imaging tests, such as a computerised tomography (CT) scan, can be used to help confirm the diagnosis or locate a kidney stone.

Do herbal teas and green/white teas have an effect on kidney stone formation?

Herbal and green teas generally have lower amounts of oxalate than black tea. High amounts of oxalate can cause kidney stones, and the dietary recommendations for you would depend on the type of kidney stone that you have.

How are kidney stones diagnosed?

Methods to diagnose kidney stones are: abdominal ultra sound, blood tests to check for excess uric acid or calcium, CT-scan or X-ray, pyelography.

How are kidney stones treated?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually used to treat and alleviate the pain, and in cases of severe pain, tramadol may be used. In the case of infection, antibiotics may be used.

Introduction

Kidney stones can develop in one or both kidneys and most often affect people aged 30 to 60. They're quite common, with around three in 20 men and up to two in 20 women developing them at some stage of their lives.

Prevention

The best way of preventing kidney stones is to make sure you drink plenty of water each day to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Symptoms

Read about the symptoms of kidney stones, which usually only occur if a stone gets stuck in your kidney, if it starts to travel down the ureter, or if it causes an infection.

Treatment

Find out how kidney stones are treated. The treatment you'll need will depend on the size and type of kidney stone you have.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

Symptoms of kidney stones include localized pain depending on the positioning of the stone, pain during urination, cloudy urine, odd-smelling urine, etc.