Have you ever had a side cramp when running? Imagine that ache not going away. Then, multiply that pain several times… and kidney stones can still feel even worse! These tiny, hard lumps can form inside your body when certain substances, like calcium or salt, stick together in your kidneys. Sometimes they’re as small as a grain of sand, but other times they grow much bigger—like a little rock inside you. Ouch!
Kidney stones can feel like boulders
A common kidney disorder that occurs in many adults is kidney stones. The symptoms include lower back pain, blood in the urine, inability to urinate or the feeling of needing to urinate but being unable to.
Imagine your kidneys working inside you to help remove waste and extra water, turning it into urine. Sometimes, tiny crystals form in the kidneys from substances like calcium or salt. When these crystals stick together, they can grow into a hard lump called a kidney stone.
If a kidney stone is small, it might pass through your body without you even noticing. But if it’s bigger, it can cause pain when it moves through the tubes leading from the kidneys to the bladder. Drinking lots of water can help prevent kidney stones by keeping those little crystals from sticking together.
What can be done for kidney stones
If you have kidney stones, the way to treat them can depend on how big they are, what type they are, and how much trouble they are causing. Here are some ways to help with kidney stones:
- Drink Lots of Water: Drinking plenty of water can help push out small stones and stop new ones from forming.
- Pain Relief: If you are in pain because of a kidney stone, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers to feel better.
- Medicines from the Doctor: Sometimes, doctors can give special medicines to help break down the stones or stop new ones from coming. For example, some medicines can help with calcium stones, while different medicines can help with uric acid stones.
- Sound Waves Treatment: For bigger stones, there’s a treatment called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) that uses sound waves to break the stones into tiny pieces so they can be passed more easily.
- Tiny Camera to Remove Stones (Ureteroscopy): If a stone gets stuck, doctors can use a thin tube with a camera to find and take it out.
- Surgery for Big Stones: If the stones are really big, doctors might have to do surgery to take them out directly from the kidney.
- Healthy Eating: Changing what you eat can help stop stones from coming back. This might mean eating less salt and avoiding certain foods like spinach and nuts if those foods cause stones.
If you are feeling really bad, like having severe pain or seeing blood in your pee, it’s important to see your Family Med doctor first. They can help figure out what’s wrong and refer you to our urology specialist if needed.
Dr. Faris Azzouni, NMC Health’s premier staff urologist, is skilled in the full range of treatments appropriate to your urological needs. He can help determine the cause and return you to pain-free as quickly as possible.
