Not all attacks of kidney stones are painful. Some people have them for years without feeling anything. In fact, it's not uncommon for stones to be discovered accidentally during a routine X-ray examination for another problem.
But it's hard to forget the pain that kidney stones bring. This happens when the stone becomes too large and forces its way to the bladder. Other signs of kidney stones are blood in the urine and a persistent urge to urinate.
"Problems arise when a stone becomes so large that it obstructs or irritates a part of the kidney or causes problems as it passes out of the kidney. Symptoms include severe pain and tenderness over the affected kidney, frequent and painful urination, nausea, blood in the urine, fever, chills, and extreme exhaustion," said the editors of Consumer Guide's Family Health & Medical Guide.
Despite the pain they cause, kidney stones are seldom serious. They rarely cause permanent damage but they shouldn't be taken lightly either.
That's because even the smallest stone can destroy delicate tissue in the urinary tract. A few may lead to complications like urinary tract infection and obstruction - both of which require immediate medical attention to prevent kidney damage.
If the stone is small enough and located further down the body, it is usually left alone to exit on its own. A large stone that is high up and causes great pain, urinary bleeding or infection, needs medical help.
In the past, that automatically meant surgery - a major procedure that required a two-week hospital stay and left a large scar both on the skin and in the wallet.
Today's patient has many options. The most popular is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) which can successfully remove 90 percent of kidney stones.
ESWL was developed in West Germany and became available in the United States in 1984. In this non-surgical method, the patient is given a general or local anesthetic and lowered into a large tub of water until the body is submerged up to the shoulders.
The stone is then bombarded with hundreds or thousands of shock waves, shattering them into tiny fragments that easily pass out in the urine a few hours or days later.
"It is not usually necessary for you to be admitted to the hospital to receive ESWL. It can be done in an out-patient clinic in the morning and you can leave the same night, or at the latest, the following day. After the procedure, you should drink at least two quarts of water a day until your urinary symptoms have cleared up and all the stone fragments have been passed," explained Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in The Best Treatment.
Does the procedure have any side effects? Find out in the third part of this series. To help you relax, take Sedamine, nature’s answer to a good night’s sleep. Visit http://sedamine.com for details.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick relife from kidney stone
By: krishna | 08-08-2008
please tell me, is intake only lamon juse can relife me from pain fastly?
Help diagnose these symptoms, very scared and worried, need help
By: SimplyMe | 18-07-2008
My symptoms include:-40 pound weight loss, w/o dieting, in only 2 months.-Bouts of extreme diaphoresis (HOT/COLD same time, w/no fever, rolling sweat), lasting 48 hours or more, leading to severe dehydration.-Extremely vesicular pompholyx, never had allergies or eczema before. -Horrible insomnia. -Muscle fatigue, weakness, bone and joint pain. -Hands are very swollen upon waking. Somedays they stay numb for several hours. Not carpal tunnel, had that w/pregnancy, and carpal has more 'electric' feeling to it. I have been in and out of the hospital in the last 2 months several times. Had every test you can imagine from the neck down, all negative. The docs just scratch their heads and say its probably a virus, puh-lease. Obviously something fairly serious is going on here, and I'm not getting any answers. I'm only 37, and have a life and family. I just want to live it. I'm scared this problem could kill me before the docs figure out what the heck is going on. Please help!
The best urologist
By: Janet Desvigne | 16-07-2008
where is dr kathleen walsh the urologist I used to see her at 5640 Read Blvd in New Orleans East before Katrina, if anyone knows where I can find her please let me know at utilajanet@aol.com
How size differs?
By: Catherine | 10-07-2008
want to learn about sizes of kidney stones not big to dangerous.
How long does it take to get off of Ambien before ...
By: Pat | 27-06-2008
How long does it take to get off of Ambien before you have normal sleep?
Is Melatonin safe to take with Naispan?
By: Sir Charles | 08-06-2008
Is Melatonin safe to take with Naispan?
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