How to Treat Bladder Stones

Bladder stones occur when urine is heavily concentrated, most likely due to enlarged prostate problems, frequent urinary tract infections, or nerve damage in the bladder area. Bladder stones can be painful, although they are sometimes painless and go undetected.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify your symptoms. If you suffer from painful or frequent urination--especially during the nighttime hours, or if you have dark-colored urine, blood in your urine, urine leakage, abdominal pain, and/or for men, pain in the penis, you may be suffering from bladder stones.

• 2

  See a doctor. Your doctor can determine whether you have bladder stones and make an accurate diagnosis. She may take a urinalysis, which will require you to give a sample of your urine for testing. If your doctor is unable to determine whether or not you have bladder stones from the urinalysis, he may give you an ultrasound to get a more accurate picture.

• 3

  Determine a plan of action. If your bladder stones are small, your doctor will recommend that you drink lots of water. If the stones are larger, she most likely will recommend a cystolitholapaxy, where a laser inserted through the urethra is used to break up the stones into smaller pieces so they can be released through the urine.

• 4

  Get surgery, if necessary. Sometimes, when bladder stones are too large to be broken up by cystolitholapaxy, a doctor will have to recommend open surgery. During open surgery, your doctor also can remedy any problems that caused the bladder stones in the first place, like an enlarged prostate.

• 5

  Take antibiotics as directed. Your doctor probably will prescribe you antibiotics to prevent future bladder stones and further infection. Take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed and do not stop taking them early just because you feel better.