Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are referred to medically as nephrolithiasis. They are caused by the crystallization of minerals. There are a number of different types of kidney stones, depending on what minerals came together to crystallize in the kidneys.
Causes & Symptoms of Kidney Stones
Sometimes, the predisposition to kidney stones is genetic. There are certain conditions such as hyperparathyroidism or gastrointestinal illnesses that can cause them. Symptoms of kidney stones include flank pain and blood in the urine.
Smaller kidney stones may pass on their own. If you do pass one, do not throw it out. Take it to your physician and he or she will send it to the lab to have it ground up and find out what’s inside of it. The larger kidney stones are, the more difficult they are to pass, and the more likely a patient will need therapy to either remove the stones or break the stones into smaller fragments with lithotripsy. Once the stones are broken up, you may then be able to pass the stones on your own with less difficulty.
Treatment of Kidney Stones
Treatment of kidney stones depends on where the kidney stone is, how big it is and how healthy you are. Often, patients need to take medications and/or make dietary changes to prevent or lessen the chance of developing another kidney stone. For example, calcium oxalate stones are some of the most common stones. Oxalate is in many foods, from chocolate to rhubarb.
Patients should also drink lots of water to prevent the urine from getting too concentrated. One of the rules of thumb in this is that you should be drinking sufficient water that you have to get up in the middle of the night at least once to pee. And when you get up in the middle of the night and you pee, you drink a big glass of water.
The surgical removal of kidney stones can include going in surgically through the urethra and using baskets or other devices to pull them out. Occasionally, kidney stones have to be removed by an open surgical procedure if they’re very large, and that requires the services of a urologist.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on kidney stones.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on health and wellness.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
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Sometimes, the predisposition to kidney stones is genetic. There are certain conditions such as hyperparathyroidism or gastrointestinal illnesses that can cause them.
-
Symptoms of kidney stones include flank pain and blood in the urine.
-
Smaller kidney stones may pass on their own. If you do pass one, do not throw it out. Take it to your physician and he or she will send it to the lab to have it ground up and find out what’s inside of it.
-
Treatment of kidney stones depends on where the kidney stone is, how big it is and how healthy you are. The surgical removal of kidney stones can include going in surgically through the urethra and using baskets or other devices to pull them out.
-
Often, patients need to take medications and/or make dietary changes to prevent or lessen the chance of developing another kidney stone. Patients should also drink lots of water to prevent the urine from getting too concentrated.
Kidney Stones
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Information - Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are referred to medically as nephrolithiasis. They are caused by the crystallization of minerals. There are a number of different types of kidney stones, depending on what minerals came together to crystallize in the kidneys.
Causes & Symptoms of Kidney Stones
Sometimes, the predisposition to kidney stones is genetic. There are certain conditions such as hyperparathyroidism or gastrointestinal illnesses that can cause them. Symptoms of kidney stones include flank pain and blood in the urine.
Smaller kidney stones may pass on their own. If you do pass one, do not throw it out. Take it to your physician and he or she will send it to the lab to have it ground up and find out what’s inside of it. The larger kidney stones are, the more difficult they are to pass, and the more likely a patient will need therapy to either remove the stones or break the stones into smaller fragments with lithotripsy. Once the stones are broken up, you may then be able to pass the stones on your own with less difficulty.
Treatment of Kidney Stones
Treatment of kidney stones depends on where the kidney stone is, how big it is and how healthy you are. Often, patients need to take medications and/or make dietary changes to prevent or lessen the chance of developing another kidney stone. For example, calcium oxalate stones are some of the most common stones. Oxalate is in many foods, from chocolate to rhubarb.
Patients should also drink lots of water to prevent the urine from getting too concentrated. One of the rules of thumb in this is that you should be drinking sufficient water that you have to get up in the middle of the night at least once to pee. And when you get up in the middle of the night and you pee, you drink a big glass of water.
The surgical removal of kidney stones can include going in surgically through the urethra and using baskets or other devices to pull them out. Occasionally, kidney stones have to be removed by an open surgical procedure if they’re very large, and that requires the services of a urologist.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on kidney stones.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on health and wellness.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
-
Sometimes, the predisposition to kidney stones is genetic. There are certain conditions such as hyperparathyroidism or gastrointestinal illnesses that can cause them.
-
Symptoms of kidney stones include flank pain and blood in the urine.
-
Smaller kidney stones may pass on their own. If you do pass one, do not throw it out. Take it to your physician and he or she will send it to the lab to have it ground up and find out what’s inside of it.
-
Treatment of kidney stones depends on where the kidney stone is, how big it is and how healthy you are. The surgical removal of kidney stones can include going in surgically through the urethra and using baskets or other devices to pull them out.
-
Often, patients need to take medications and/or make dietary changes to prevent or lessen the chance of developing another kidney stone. Patients should also drink lots of water to prevent the urine from getting too concentrated.
