Treating kidney stones
Unless they feel discomforting pain and present of blood in their urine, people will not go to a doctor for a kidney stones checkup. This is because people tend to neglect the severity of the condition and its possible complications once not diagnosed and treated early.
Experts say that the problem why people who are suffering from kidney stones is that they always tend to be complacent in keeping up with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Theydeliberately or not deliberatelywithout realizing that they will suffer and spend more money once the condition gets worse over time.
The most common types of kidney stones among people are the calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stone, which are caused by too much calcium and sodium intake. These types of stones are not really that harmful unless they increase in size fast and block the uteterthe tube that is connected to the bladder and will cause urination problems.
Treatments and medication available
Today, there are so many types of treatments and medications available for people with kidney stones. These forms of treatments vary depending on the severity of the condition. Experts say that people who have mild kidney stones can sort to medication, which are usually prescribed for certain types.
Medication is considered, as the initial form of treatment especially for symptomatic kidney stones which is common among patients. This is used by people who show early signs of kidney stones such as pain with varying degrees. The most common medication includes the Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs ot NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, nifedipine, and tamsulosin, which are effective in speeding up the passage of ureteral stones along the uterer. These come in different brands, come in pill form and can be brought over the counter.
For extreme pains, medication can be through the vein to ensure that it will take effect faster. This process of medication is also ideal for people who have low tolerance in taking oral pills. If NSAIDs cannot be administered directly, fluids can also be given to the patient suffering from the pain of kidney stones through the mouth to ensure that there will be enough supply of fluid for the urine.
Although medication can be administered at home, there will be times that the patient need to be brought to the hospitalized especially if the pain does not subside immediately. Once hospitalized, the patient will be asked to strain urine in order to cover the stone and collected for laboratory analysis. Here, the type of stone will be determined as well as its size and number through an imaging test. Here, if your kidney stones are smaller than 5 millimeters, you’re safe to take medication. But is the stone is about 10 millimeters, you will need to undergo a procedure such as:
– Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) which is the most common option of procedure because it can easily remove stones in the renal pelvis and upper ureter. This procedure requires x-ray or ultrasound to determine the exact location of the kidney stone and uses a high-energy shock wave to remove the stone by breaking it into pieces. However, this is not effective for hard, large, and complicated types of stones.
– Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL), on the other hand, is ideal for complex and extremely large kidney stones because it involves invasive surgical procedure in the process of removal which are small telescopic instruments passing through the person’s skin.
– Ureteroscopy is used for removing stones that are obstructed in the middle and lower portion of the person’s ureter. Here, a tiny telescopic instrument passes through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter and kidney to remove the kidney stones.