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kidney stones
Kidney Stones Treatment |
Kidney Stones TreatmentThere are many factors that will need to be considered in treating kidney stones.
The size and type of the stone present is one. The underlying cause why they kidney stones developed will also be checked. The presence of urinary tract infection will also be looked into.
Ninety percent of cases wherein the stones are at 4mm or smaller are normally passed and are removed even without intervention.
Stones that are 5 to 7 mm in size may also do so in 50 percent of the total cases; while stones larger than that rarely pass without medical intervention. Unbeknownst to some patients, the mere act of walking helps move a stone lower and eventually removes it; thus, they are normally advised to staying sedentary.
Whenever possible, a patient with a kidney stone is recommended to pass the stone naturally and have it collected for further analysis. In such cases, the patient will need to strain his urine.
Analysis of kidney stones is necessary to determine its composition and to prevent the recurrence of the same stone formation.
As with other medical ailments, dietary restrictions should be followed. Fluid intake is also advised to be increased. More than a half gallon of urine is supposedly excreted from the body daily; hence, water intake should be made up for this loss.
It should be noted that dehydration is one common cause of kidney stone formations and accumulations. Cystine stone formers though may require more liquid intake than those suffering from other types of kidney stones. With calcium stones though, calcium intake is not advised to be reduced to prevent involving the patient in risks of other calcium-deficiency diseases.
Pain relievers like aspirin and Advil and other over-the-counter drugs are normally not that effective for those suffering from severe pains brought about by the presence of kidney stones.
Some doctors prescribe oral analgesics to minimize the pain. Some of which may include Tylenol with Codeine®, oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet®), and propoxyphene HCL (Darvon®).
Other medications are injected to the patient for severe pain. These medications may be intravenously administered (through the IV) or intramuscularly given (by injection).
The problem with these medications though is the tendency for the patient to develop dependency on them and some cases of overdoses with injectable medications. In the event of the latter, grave complications may be observed. Constipations nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and slowed breathing are some side effects brought about by oral analgesics.
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