Help for Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a common occurrence among both men and women, though according to the National Institutes of Health they are more prevalent in men. A kidney stone is made up of accumulated crystals found in the urine and can be a painful, debilitating condition. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to treat kidney stones, including home treatment and surgery.

Home and Medical Treatment

• Treating kidney stones at home is focused on alleviating symptoms and typically includes the use of over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and the consumption of large amounts of water, typically eight glasses or more, to help with urine output. Depending on the size and type of stones,medications may be prescribed. These medications work by preventing the formation of future stones and by getting rid of whatever may be causing the stones to form. Examples include antibiotics, which are used for struvite stones (found mostly in women); allopurinol, which is used to treat stones that developed due to a concentration of uric acid; and phosphate solutions or sodium bicarbonate. Your doctor will determine the best type of medication for you.

Surgical Treatment

• If the stones become too big or too great in number, surgery may be necessary to remove them. The type of surgery performed is dependent on the location and size of the stones, and can include: ureteroscopy, which involves extracting the stone through the urethra with a tiny basket in a procedure known as a basket extraction; lithotripsy, which is used for stones found in the kidney or upper portions of the ureter; and ultrasonic, electrohydraulic and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, which involve the use of sound, electricity and shock waves, respectively, to break up the kidney stones so they get easier to pass.

  Other possible surgical options include removing the stone directly with open surgery or through percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, which involves accessing the stones by going in through the skin. These are slightly more invasive and are typically only used when other methods have failed. Your doctor will determine the best possible type of surgery for your individual case.