BODY SIGNAL ALERT PAIN IN ONE SIDE OF HIP RUNNING TO GENITALIA: TREATMENT
Surgical removal of the stone was once the rule in treating kidney stones; now it is the exception. The treatment for kidney stones depends on what type of stone it is.
For most people, prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine every three or four hours, or even Demerol, will help decrease the pain without interfering with or prolonging the process of passing the stone. For others, whose pain is disabling because several stones are being passed at once, a process called lithotripsy is commonly used. Also known as a form of underwater shock-wave treatment, lithotripsy is a process in which a machine called a lithotripter is used to aim ultrasound waves directly toward the stone while the patient lies partially under watet. The waves will not harm your body, but because the stones are so fragile, the waves will cause the stones to break up into smaller pieces, making them easy to pass. While the waves are emitted, your urologist watches the process on an X-ray monitor.
Because of the success of lithotripsy, surgery has largely become obsolete as a method of treating kidney stones. With particularly stubborn stones, a small version of the lithotripter is used to enter the body through a small incision on the abdomen. The surgeon inserts a tube called a cystoscope into the bladder to aim the ultrasound waves at the large stones. They break up, and when the surgeon removes the cystoscope, the remaining broken-up stones come out with it.
If your doctor determines that a kidney infection and not a stone is causing your pain, he will prescribe an antibiotic such as the sulfa medication Bactrim, to be taken twice daily for ten days or until the infection clears up.
Once you’ve had one stone, the emphasis will be on the prevention of future stones. Though only 10% of kidney stones are due to a hereditary condition, most people will have to take preventive measures after they suffer through one episode.
The most important—and easiest—thing to do is to drink lots of water every day; I recommend from 8 to 10 8-ounce glasses. Adequate fluid intake will help prevent stones from forming and also help flush any existing stones from your system quickly.
Since some stones are a result of excess protein or calcium in the diet, your doctor may recommend that you cut your intake of foods that are high in these nutrients.
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