Your urinary tract is full of narrow tubes designed to transport liquid waste out of your body. When kidney stones form and urine gets blocked, you’re left in excruciating pain. At Urology Surgery Center Northwest in Spokane, Washington, the team of providers knows how to treat these deposits of minerals and acid salts to get you relief and fast. Make an appointment with Urology Surgery Center Northwest online or over the phone at the first sign of a kidney stone for treatment.
A kidney stone usually signifies its presence through the sudden onset of extreme pain in the side, lower back, or lower belly. These sharp pains are often strong signs that a patient could have a kidney stone. To be sure, the team at Urology Surgery Center Northwest may request:
Some patients may notice sweating and increased heart rate with the presence of kidney stones.
Kidney stone treatment depends on several factors. Patients likely have to wait it out for small stones and let nature take its course. In these cases, the Urology Surgery Center Northwest team recommends drinking plenty of water to help flush out the stones. There are prescription medications available that relax muscles in the ureter, the duct by which urine passes from the kidney to the bladder, allowing the stone to pass a little easier.
For larger stones, patients may need more intensive treatment. Stones that are either too large to pass on their own or that have caused bleeding may require you to undergo an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ESWL. This procedure, typically done while awake, uses sound waves to break these larger stones into smaller pieces, making them easier to pass.
If ESWL isn’t successful or a good option, the Urology Surgery Center Northwest team can operate or use a scope to remove the kidney stone.
To ease the pain of kidney stones, you can utilize over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen medications. However, the team at Urology Surgery Center Northwest will talk with you about your pain level and, if needed, can prescribe a more effective pain-relief medication. If the pain is so severe that the patient experiences nausea, vomiting, and can’t hold down medication, they may need to receive the painkiller through an IV.
To get treatment for kidney stones and free yourself the pain associated, call the Urology Surgery Center Northwest or book online today.