Kidney stones usually vary in size from less than 0.078 inches (2 millimeters) across to more than 0.78 inches (2 centimeters) across. Most of them are less than 0.15 inches (4 millimeters) across, so they're small enough to pass out of most people's bodies without treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Urological Association (AUA) and the European Association of Urology (EAU).
2007 guideline for the management of ureteral calculi.
Available at http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines.cfm?sub=uc (accessed on 1 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

If your stone shows up on an

 

 

 

 

 

X-ray
X-rays are pictures taken of the inside of your body. They are done by passing very small amounts of radiation through your body and onto film. X-rays can also be used as a treatment, such as in radiation therapy for cancer.

 

 

 

 

 

X-ray, your doctor might be able to tell you how big it is.

It can take two days to four weeks for a stone to pass through your body.

During this time, you will need to:

To read more, see Treatments to help with pain from kidney stones.

If you have a stone stuck in a ureter, your doctor might also recommend taking a medication called an alpha-blocker. This type of drug is often used to treat

 

 

 

 

 

high blood pressure
Your blood pressure is considered to be high when it is above the accepted normal range. The usual limit for normal blood pressure is 140/90. If either the first (systolic) number is above 140 or the lower (diastolic) number is above 90, a person is considered to have high blood pressure. Doctors sometimes call high blood pressure "hypertension."

 

 

 

 

 

high blood pressure or symptoms of an enlarged

 

 

 

 

 

prostate
Only men have a prostate. It's a small, solid gland that's about the size of a chestnut. Its job is to help make the milky fluid that comes out of a man's penis when he has an orgasm. The fluid from the prostate helps keep sperm healthy and also helps them swim freely.

 

 

 

 

 

prostate, but studies show it can also help stones to pass through the ureters faster. To learn more, see What treatments work for kidney stones?

You'll probably be able to stay at home during this time, although you may need X-rays to check on the progress of the stone.

If the pain is very bad, or you're vomiting up fluids, you might have to be watched in a hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Preminger GM.
Patient information: kidney stones.
June 2007. Available at http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=kidn_dis/5800&title (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

You should strain your urine in a tea strainer or something similar to catch any stones, or bits of stones, that pass. This is so that your doctor can find out what type of stone you have and advise you what you can do to avoid getting another one. Your doctor will continue to keep an eye on you until an X-ray shows that the stone has gone.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Portis JA, Sundaram CP.
Diagnosis and initial management of kidney stones.
American Family Physician. 2001; 63: 1329-1338.

 

 

 

 

 

³

If you get more severe symptoms, this may mean your stone is blocking the flow of urine. This can be a serious problem. You should call your doctor right away if you have:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
What I need to know about kidney stones.
April 2007. Available at http://www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stones_ez/index.htm (accessed 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁵

You will need to see a urologist if you have a smaller stone that has not passed out of your body within four weeks. After that time, you are more likely to get problems like an infection.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Portis JA, Sundaram CP.
Diagnosis and initial management of kidney stones.
American Family Physician. 2001; 63: 1329-1338.

 

 

 

 

 

³

Until 20 years ago, treatment for removing kidney stones involved a major operation. But now there are much simpler treatments.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Kidney stones in adults.
October 2007. Available at http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stonesadults (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁶ You have a good chance of getting rid of your stone if you have one of these treatments.

They include:

What treatment you have will depend, in part, on how large your stone is and whether it is in your kidney, upper ureter or lower ureter. To read more about these treatments, see What treatments work for kidney stones?

You will probably need to go to a hospital or clinic for these treatments. You might be able to go home the same day, or you might need to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Getting rid of your kidney stone is not the end of the story. You have about a 1 in 2 chance of getting another one within five to seven years.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Parmar MS.
Kidney stones.
BMJ. 2004; 328: 1420-1424.

 

 

 

 

 

²

Your doctor may carry out some tests on your blood and urine to find out why you got a kidney stone.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Renal Unit.
Kidney stones.
July 2006. Available at http://renux.dmed.ed.ac.uk/edren/EdRenINFOhome.html (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁷ Your doctor will also examine your stone to find out what type it is.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Preminger GM.
Patient information: kidney stones.
June 2007. Available at http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=kidn_dis/5800&title (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁴ (To read about the types of stones, see What are kidney stones?)

Your doctor can prescribe medicines to help stop you from getting some types of stones. The type of medicine you get depends on the type of stone that you've had. The medicines include:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Renal Unit.
Kidney stones.
July 2006. Available at http://renux.dmed.ed.ac.uk/edren/EdRenINFOhome.html (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁷

We haven't looked at the research on these medicines in the same way as we have for other treatments used for kidney stones (see Our method), so we can't say whether they work.

Your risk of getting more stones is also affected by what you eat and drink. To reduce your risk, you can:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Renal Unit.
Kidney stones.
July 2006. Available at http://renux.dmed.ed.ac.uk/edren/EdRenINFOhome.html (accessed on 5 May 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

⁷

If you've had a calcium oxalate stone, you may need to reduce the amount of oxalate in your diet. This means cutting down on chocolate, nuts, rhubarb, strawberries, spinach, coffee and tea.

But changes in diet don't work for everyone and there is not a lot of evidence to show how well they work. So it's important to talk to your doctor before making big changes to what you eat.

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