Kidney Stone Treatment  

Kidney Stone Treatment and Passing a Kidney Stone

Kidney stone treatment doesn't always require surgery, although in some cases it's the only way to get relief from kidney stones pain. 

Certain prescription drugs can be used for kidney stone treatment because they prevent calcium and uric acid stones. Your doctor can recommend these.

The doctor might also prescribe certain diuretics. These reduce the amount of calcium released by the kidneys into the urine. This is a rarely done, however. 

In some cases, the best kidney stone treatment is simply drinking a lot of water. This is especially true for cystine kidney stones. 2 to 3 quarts a day will help "flush" the stone down the ureter and into the bladder. 
 

Passing a kidney stone

Once a kidney stone travels down into the bladder, it usually passes out of the body during urination. At this stage, it rarely causes any discomfort. Men may feel a slight "popping" sensation and a rush of air as the stone is expelled. Sometimes women will pass a stone without even realizing it, depending on the size of the stone. 

But drinking a lot of fluids doesn't succeed, however, a doctor may prescribe Thiola and Cuprimine.

Cranberry juice has often been touted as a way to prevent kidney stone formation. However, recent studies suggest drinking water works just as well.

There are several kidney stone removal methods. They include surgery (a traditional method) and lithotripsy or extracorporeal shock wave therapy. For additional information on these kidney stone removal methods, click on kidney stone removal surgery and lithotripsy.

Learn more about how to cope with kidney stones by clicking here or on the book cover below.