How to Get Rid of Bladder Stones

Bladder stones are small mineral crystals that occur when urine is heavily concentrated. As reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 95 percent of bladder stones occur in men as a result of an enlarged prostate. They may also occur as a result of frequent urinary tract infections or neurogenic bladder. Similar to kidney stones, bladder stones may cause difficulty urinating, a frequent urge to urinate and abnormally colored, dark or bloody urine. These symptoms manifest when the bladder stone irritates the bladder lining or blocks the flow of urine out of the bladder.

Instructions

• 1

  Obtain an accurate diagnosis. If you are suffering from painful urination or a frequent need to urinate, experience dark-colored or blood-tinged urine, abdominal pain, or urine leakage, you may have bladder stones or a related urinary-tract disorder. Schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns with your primary-care physician. Your physician can rule out other similar disorders and provide an accurate diagnosis.

• 2

  Provide a urine sample for diagnostic testing. Urinalysis testing will be ordered to provide an accurate diagnosis. This requires you to provide a urine sample. If your physician is unable to determine the presence of bladder stones from the results of the urinalysis, an ultrasound may be ordered for a more accurate determination.

• 3

  Determine a treatment plan with your physician. If the bladder stones are small, your physician will recommend that you increase your fluid intake to 8 to 10 glasses of water per day to help the stones pass. Over-the-counter analgesic pain medicine is recommended to help tolerate the pain. Stronger pain medications may be prescribed if necessary. Medications may also be prescribed to help the stones pass more quickly.

• 4

  Have the stones surgically removed. Larger bladder stones will generally require a cystolitholapaxy, during which a laser is inserted into the urethra to break the stones into smaller pieces to allow them to flush from the bladder. If the bladder stones are too large for a successful cystolitholapaxy, open surgery is recommended. The benefit of open surgery is that the related issues that caused the bladder stones to develop may also be addressed.

• 5

  Take antibiotics as directed by your physician. These will be prescribed to help prevent the development of additional bladder stones as well as an infection. Be sure to take these medications as directed. Do not stop taking them early, even if you are feeling better.