How to Expel Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are small, hard deposits of mineral and acid salts on the inner surface of the kidney, according to the Mayo Clinic. Passing a kidney stone can be excruciating. Many people experience side and back pain, which can radiate to the groin.

Things You'll Need

• Plenty of water
• Pain medication

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Drink plenty of water, as much as three quarts a day to help flush any kidney stones through your system. If you get tired of water, juices containing carrots, grapes and oranges are rich in citrate. Citrate helps dissolves cystine types of kidney stones, according to NoMoreKidneyStone.com. Eat foods rich in fiber.
  Try to stay active by walking or doing other light exercises every day. This will help move kidney stones out of your body.
  Some doctors advise patients who who tend to form calcium kidney stones to avoid dairy products. Avoid drinks such as coffee and soft drinks that don't promote urination.

• 2

  Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy breaks the stones into tiny pieces so that you can pass them in your urine. Patients who are candidates for ESWL usually have kidney stones that are 4 mm to 2 cm in size and are causing pain and/or blocking urine flow. If you re pregnant or have a bleeding disorder, a pacemaker or abnormal kidney structure, you probably will not be a candidate.
  During this procedure, shock waves that are created outside the body travel through the skin and body tissues until they hit the denser stones, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
  If you have this outpatient procedure, you may be sedated, because the shock waves can cause discomfort. You may experience bruising after this treatment.

• 3

  Percutaneous nephrolithotomy involves surgically removing the stones through a small incision in the back. This procedure is for those with stones that are too large to be passed in the urine and won't respond to shock-wave therapy. For this procedure, you will be under general anesthesia. A PNL procedure is usually reserved for the largest and most complex stones. It is usually a last resort before open-kidney surgery.

• 4

  Ureteroscopic stone removal is for patients who have a stone lodged in the ureter. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, a surgeon passes a small fiberoptic instrument called a ureteroscope through the urethra and bladder into the ureter and removes the stone.