Kidney Stones

Your urinary tract is full of narrow tubes designed to transport liquid waste out of your body. It’s no wonder that once a stone forms and urine gets blocked, you’re left in excruciating pain. Kidney stones aren’t always dangerous and typically pass through with urination. But frequent stones or stones that cause blockages are a cause for concern. Make an appointment with board-certified urologist Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, MD, MPH, and physician assistant Maelyn Dishman, PA-C, at Cypress Urology in Cypress, Texas, at the first sign of a kidney stone. The team will get you on a treatment plan and do everything possible to relieve your pain. Call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

What are kidney stones?

A kidney stone is a small object formed when various chemicals, including calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate, collect in the urine. The urine contains waste, and crystals will develop when there is an excess amount in relation to the liquid. Those crystals then attach to other elements within the urine to create a solid mass.

This mass can be quite small -- around the size of a sugar crystal -- but it can also potentially grow to the size of a ping-pong ball if not passed naturally during urination. The average ureter is just 3 or 4 millimeters in width, so kidney stones can easily get stuck. If a kidney stone is stuck, it may interfere with proper urine flow and cause other issues with the urinary system, including severe pain.

How is a kidney stone diagnosed?

Usually, the sudden onset of extreme pain in the side, lower back, or lower belly is a big red flag that a patient could have a kidney stone. But to be sure, the practice may request:

• Imaging (CT scan or x-ray)
• Blood testing (evaluate calcium and uric acid levels)
• Urine collection and testing
• Analysis of passed stone

How are kidney stones treated?

It depends. For small stones, as scary as it might sound, patients likely have to wait it out and let nature take its course. In this case, the team recommends drinking plenty of water to help flush out the stones. Prescription medications are also available that relax muscles in the ureter, allowing the stone to pass a little easier.

For larger stones, though, patients may need extensive treatment. Stones that are either too large to pass on their own or that have already done damage and caused bleeding might need to undergo an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ESWL. This procedure, typically done while the patient is awake, uses sound waves to break larger stones into smaller stones that are easier to pass. In some cases, ESWL can be a little uncomfortable, so your provider might use light sedation to ease discomfort.

If ESWL isn’t successful or just isn’t a good option, your provider can operate or use a scope to remove the kidney stone.

What can I do for the pain?

Most of the time, over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen medications just won’t cut it. Talk with your provider about the pain level, as he can prescribe a stronger narcotic medication. But if the pain is so severe that the patient experiences nausea, vomiting, and can’t hold down medication, which can happen with kidney stones, patients may have to get the painkiller intravenously (through an IV).

If you think you’re experiencing kidney stones, don’t wait to schedule an appointment with Cypress Urology. Call the office or reach out online today.