Kidney Stones Treatment in Clear Lake, TX
At Green Urology, our board-certified urologist provide comprehensive care for patients suffering from kidney stones in Clear Lake and surrounding areas. Our expert will take the time to provide you with a comprehensive diagnosis to determine the best treatment option for you. For more information, contact our urology center and schedule an appointment today! Dr. Green sees patients from throughout the Houston area including League City, Alvin, Galveston, and Baytown.
What Are Kidney Stones?
When high levels of minerals and salt exist in the kidneys, they can form a clump of matter known as a kidney stone. These stones may stay inside of the kidney, where they may sometimes reside without any further harm.
The real problem begins when these kidney stones enter the ureter (the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder) and block urine from traveling down to the bladder. This blockage caused by the kidney stone becomes very painful, and can require surgery if it does not pass on its own.
What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?
Other than pain, the National Kidney Foundation listed out several symptoms patients with kidney stones often experience such as:
- Persistent need to urinate
- Cloudy or discolored urine, usually pink, red, or brown in color
- Foul-smelling urine
- Frequent urination
- Fever or chills, typically occurs when there is an infection present
- Pain radiating from the lower abdomen and groin, or in the back below the ribs
- Nausea and vomiting
- Painful urination
What Are the Types of Kidney Stones?
Not all kidney stones are the same. The exact type of kidney stone will determine the course of action used to treat the patient’s kidney stones. Healthline explained these types of kidney stones in there article, they include but are not limited to:
- Calcium stones (most common)
- Uric acid stones
- Struvite stones
- Cystine stones
What is the Treatment for Kidney Stones?
The method of treatment will depend on many factors including the particular type and the location of kidney stone. However many of these stones are treated in similar ways.
Sometimes, kidney stones will pass on their own. You can assist this process by drinking lots of water and taking over-the-counter pain medicine (ibuprofen) to help with pain management. It may take four to six weeks for a kidney stone to pass. This may seem like a long amount of time, but it is safe to continue trying to pass a kidney stone on your own so long as the pain is manageable and there are no present signs of an infection. If you suspect that there may be an infection spreading within your kidney or ureter, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Some medications have been shown to help increase the body’s ability to pass kidney stones. Such medications work by relaxing the ureter, which provides the kidney stone with ample room to make its way to the bladder, where it will finally exit the body through urination.
If the pain becomes too great, or if the ureter becomes completely blocked and begins to affect kidney function, surgery may be necessary. Modern technology allows for this surgery to be minimally invasive with minor recovery time. The most common types of surgery for the removal of kidney stones include:
- Ureteroscopy (URS)
- Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
Schedule a Kidney Stones Consultation
If you are struggling with pain or an infection caused by kidney stones, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Travis Green of Green Urology to discuss your treatment options. To contact Dr. Green, please call our urology clinic today at 281-957-9658.
