1. Know If It's a Stone
Kidney stones, also called renal stones, are commonly diagnosed by ultrasounds and CT scans. If you have a history of kidney stones, your doctor might opt to treat the stone without using tests to confirm the diagnosis. Kidney stones can cause sudden, intense pain. The pain is often described as cramping, which comes in waves, in the back or side near the ribs. However, some stones are so small they don't cause pain, and are only diagnosed if the abdomen is x-rayed or scanned for another medical reason. Stones that don't cause pain don't require treatment.
2. Let Nature Take Its Course
The majority of kidney stones can be passed without any kind of medical intervention. To encourage the stone to pass on its own during urination, drink as much water as you can. Physical activity, such as walking, helps keep the stone moving. Kidney stones that are small enough to pass on their own usually do so within a few days after symptoms begin. Your doctor can prescribe pain medication to help keep you comfortable while you pass the stone. It's typically recommended that patients urinate through a strainer to catch the stone when it does pass.
3. Shocked Into Recovery
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, commonly referred to as ESWL, is a minimally-invasive procedure that breaks up the stone into tiny pieces so it can be passed easily. The procedure works by sending shock waves into the stone until it crumbles. Kidney stone patients receiving extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy need local or general anesthesia during the procedure. It typically takes 200 to 400 shock waves to break up the stone. Passing pieces of a kidney stone is less painful than passing an intact stone, but can still be uncomfortable.
4. When All Else Fails
Kidney stones that are too large to be passed and resist extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy need to be removed surgically. The surgery is minimally invasive. The stone is broken up with a probe or laser, then removed through a small incision in the back. The patient is put under general anesthesia and typically remains in the hospital for a day or two following surgery. Occasionally, stones need to be removed from a ureter. Stones that are lodged in a ureter don't require an incision. A urologist can pass a scope through the bladder and into the ureter to snag the stone.
5. Overactive Glands
A growth on the parathyroid glands could be the cause of recurrent calcium kidney stones. The parathyroid glands are located on the four corners of the thyroid gland. Small benign growths on the parathyroid glands can cause the body to produce too much calcium, resulting in stones. If this is the case, a general surgeon will remove the growth.
