Kidney Stones
If I have a Kidney stone when should I call a doctor?
If you have a kidney stone, you may already know how painful it can be. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not just go away. It may even get larger. Your doctor can help.
You should call a doctor when you have:
extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
blood in your urine
fever and chills
vomiting
urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
a burning feeling when you urinate
These may be signs of a kidney stone that needs a doctor's care.
What is a kidney stone?
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney out of substances in the urine. A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract. A small stone may pass all the way out of the body without causing too much pain. A larger stone may get stuck in a ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. A problem stone can block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
Are all kidney stones the same ?
No. There are four major types of kidney stones.
The most common type of stone contains calcium (KAL-see-um). Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. The calcium that stays behind joins with other waste products to form a stone.
A struvite (STROO-vite) stone may form after an infection in the urinary system. These stones contain the mineral magnesium (mag-NEE-zee-um) and the waste product ammonia (uh-MOH-nyuh).
A uric (YOOR-ik) acid stone may form when there is too much acid in the urine. If you tend to form uric acid stones, you may need to cut back on the amount of meat you eat.
Cystine (SIS-teen) stones are rare. Cystine is one of the building blocks that make up muscles, nerves, and other parts of the body. Cystine can build up in the urine to form a stone. The disease that causes cystine stones runs in families.
What do kidney stones look like?
Kidney stones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Some stones are even as big as golf balls. Stones may be smooth or jagged. They are usually yellow or brown.
What can my doctor do about kidney stones?
If you have a stone that will not pass by itself, your doctor may need to take steps to get rid of it. In the past, the only way to remove a problem stone was through surgery.
Now, doctors have new ways to remove problem stones. The following sections describe a few of these methods.
If I have a Kidney stone when should I call a doctor?
If you have a kidney stone, you may already know how painful it can be. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not just go away. It may even get larger. Your doctor can help.
You should call a doctor when you have:
extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
blood in your urine
fever and chills
vomiting
urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
a burning feeling when you urinate
These may be signs of a kidney stone that needs a doctor's care.
What is a kidney stone?
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney out of substances in the urine. A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract. A small stone may pass all the way out of the body without causing too much pain. A larger stone may get stuck in a ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. A problem stone can block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
Are all kidney stones the same ?
No. There are four major types of kidney stones.
The most common type of stone contains calcium (KAL-see-um). Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. The calcium that stays behind joins with other waste products to form a stone.
A struvite (STROO-vite) stone may form after an infection in the urinary system. These stones contain the mineral magnesium (mag-NEE-zee-um) and the waste product ammonia (uh-MOH-nyuh).
A uric (YOOR-ik) acid stone may form when there is too much acid in the urine. If you tend to form uric acid stones, you may need to cut back on the amount of meat you eat.
Cystine (SIS-teen) stones are rare. Cystine is one of the building blocks that make up muscles, nerves, and other parts of the body. Cystine can build up in the urine to form a stone. The disease that causes cystine stones runs in families.
What do kidney stones look like?
Kidney stones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Some stones are even as big as golf balls. Stones may be smooth or jagged. They are usually yellow or brown.
What can my doctor do about kidney stones?
If you have a stone that will not pass by itself, your doctor may need to take steps to get rid of it. In the past, the only way to remove a problem stone was through surgery.
Now, doctors have new ways to remove problem stones. The following sections describe a few of these methods.
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