Kidney stones can go undetected until they start to pass through your urinary system. Symptoms of an attack begin suddenly and cause severe pain. The right method of treatment depends on the individual and type of kidney stone. Here’s a closer look at treating both small and large stones.
Drinking Fluids
It’s important to drink a lot of fluids—mostly water. When passing a stone you should drink as much as two to three quarts of water a day. A high consumption of water can help flush out your urinary system.
Pain Relievers
The pain you experience while passing a stone can be intense. If your pain is mild, you can take over-the-counter medication such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Tylenol). However, in serious cases your doctor can prescribe you medication.
Alpha Blockers
An alpha blocker—prescribed by your doctor to help with passing—is a type of medication that relaxes the muscles in your ureter, allowing you to pass the kidney stone more quickly and with less pain.
Treatment for Complicated Stones
There are cases when kidney stones can’t be passed with fluids or medication. This is typically because the stone is either large or there are complications, such as bleeding, kidney damage, or urinary tract infections. Procedures that treat these types of stones include:
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)
Choosing whether or not to treat a kidney stone with ESWL depends greatly on the size and location of the stone. The treatment uses sound waves to make shock waves, strong vibrations, which break the stone into smaller pieces that can be passed.
ESWL on average takes about 45 to 60 minutes. You may be put under sedation or light anesthesia because the procedure can cause mild pain. Some side effects of the operation may be: blood in your urine, bruising on your back or abdomen, bleeding around your kidney or nearby organs, and discomfort while the broken stone pieces are passing.
Surgery
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a surgical procedure that uses small telescopes and instruments—inserted through a small incision in your back—to remove a large kidney stone. The surgery requires a one to two day hospital stay following the operation. This surgery is usually suggested after an ESWL procedure is unsuccessful.
Ureteroscopy
A smaller stone can be removed by passing a thin lighted tube, called a ureteroscope, through your urethra and bladder into your ureter. After locating the stone, special tools are used to break it into fragmented pieces that are small enough to pass.
A stent, which is a small, hollow tube, is placed in your ureter. The stent allows urine to flow from your kidney to your bladder and reduces swelling and also promotes healing.
The stent is removed two to three days after ureteroscopy. If there are complications the stent may instead be removed in one to two weeks. In serious cases, stents are needed for long-term use— stents should still be replaced every six months regardless.