How to Dissolve Kidney Stones
Look into medication., Get extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL)., See if the stone can be removed with a ureteroscope., Have percutaneous nephrolithotomy surgery., See if thyroid treatment is necessary.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look into medication.
If you have trouble passing small stones on your own, your doctor may prescribe a type of medication called an alpha blocker, which relaxes the muscles in your ureter to help you pass the stones more easily.
This should be sufficient for smaller stones, but you may need extra help to pass larger ones.If you have uric acid kidney stones, then a course of potassium citrate might be in order so that the stones dissolve on their own. -
Step 2: Get extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL).
This procedure uses sound waves to break up large stones, making them easier to pass.
Since the procedure can be painful, patients are usually placed under anesthesia during the 30 to 45 minute process of pulverizing the stones.
This is an effective treatment, but it can cause bruising and pain as the small pieces of stone eventually pass. , Stones that are too large to be broken up with shock wave therapy, but too small to require surgery may be removed with a scope that is inserted into the ureter.
Once the stone is located, it is broken up using small tools.
Since the procedure can be painful, it usually requires either local or general anesthesia. , For large stones that can't be broken into bits using shock wave therapy, surgery may be required to remove them.
A small incision is made in the patient's back, and a tiny instrument is inserted to remove the kidney stone or stones.
The surgery requires an overnight stay in the hospital., In some cases, calcium kidney stones are caused by hyperparathyroidism, which is when the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone.
This can happen when a small tumor grows on a parathyroid gland, or when a separate condition causes the parathyroid to overproduce parathyroid hormone.
Once your doctor has determined the cause of the hyperparathyroidism, he or she will recommend the proper course of treatment to correct the problem. -
Step 3: See if the stone can be removed with a ureteroscope.
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Step 4: Have percutaneous nephrolithotomy surgery.
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Step 5: See if thyroid treatment is necessary.
Detailed Guide
If you have trouble passing small stones on your own, your doctor may prescribe a type of medication called an alpha blocker, which relaxes the muscles in your ureter to help you pass the stones more easily.
This should be sufficient for smaller stones, but you may need extra help to pass larger ones.If you have uric acid kidney stones, then a course of potassium citrate might be in order so that the stones dissolve on their own.
This procedure uses sound waves to break up large stones, making them easier to pass.
Since the procedure can be painful, patients are usually placed under anesthesia during the 30 to 45 minute process of pulverizing the stones.
This is an effective treatment, but it can cause bruising and pain as the small pieces of stone eventually pass. , Stones that are too large to be broken up with shock wave therapy, but too small to require surgery may be removed with a scope that is inserted into the ureter.
Once the stone is located, it is broken up using small tools.
Since the procedure can be painful, it usually requires either local or general anesthesia. , For large stones that can't be broken into bits using shock wave therapy, surgery may be required to remove them.
A small incision is made in the patient's back, and a tiny instrument is inserted to remove the kidney stone or stones.
The surgery requires an overnight stay in the hospital., In some cases, calcium kidney stones are caused by hyperparathyroidism, which is when the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone.
This can happen when a small tumor grows on a parathyroid gland, or when a separate condition causes the parathyroid to overproduce parathyroid hormone.
Once your doctor has determined the cause of the hyperparathyroidism, he or she will recommend the proper course of treatment to correct the problem.
About the Author
William Fisher
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