What is the best treatment for kidney stones?

Written by Zou De Bo
Urology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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Kidney stones are generally treated by drinking a lot of water. Smaller stones may be expelled due to the push of a large volume of urine. Secondly, antispasmodic analgesics like M-type cholinergic receptor blockers can be used to relax the ureteral smooth muscle and alleviate spasms. Thirdly, controlling infection is crucial because urinary tract obstructions caused by stones are prone to infections, and infections often lead to the formation of struvite stones, perpetuating a vicious cycle that exacerbates the condition. It is essential to actively remove obstructions caused by stones and use antibiotics for prevention. Fourth, surgical treatment should be considered when pain cannot be alleviated by medication or when the stone is too large.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Can kidney stones recur?

Kidney stones are recurrent because their formation is related to daily water intake, diet, genetics, lifestyle habits, and certain diseases. Therefore, even if the stones are treated surgically or expelled from the body through conservative means, recurrence can occur if dietary and lifestyle habits are not monitored or if the primary disease is not controlled. It is important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and dilute the urine to reduce the recurrence of stones. If there are specific diseases present, such as hyperuricemia or hyperparathyroidism, active treatment is necessary.

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Written by Zou De Bo
Urology
49sec home-news-image

What is the best treatment for kidney stones?

Kidney stones are generally treated by drinking a lot of water. Smaller stones may be expelled due to the push of a large volume of urine. Secondly, antispasmodic analgesics like M-type cholinergic receptor blockers can be used to relax the ureteral smooth muscle and alleviate spasms. Thirdly, controlling infection is crucial because urinary tract obstructions caused by stones are prone to infections, and infections often lead to the formation of struvite stones, perpetuating a vicious cycle that exacerbates the condition. It is essential to actively remove obstructions caused by stones and use antibiotics for prevention. Fourth, surgical treatment should be considered when pain cannot be alleviated by medication or when the stone is too large.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Where is the best place to massage for kidney stones?

Patients with kidney stones will find that massage is ineffective. For those with stones smaller than 0.5 cm, engaging in more physical activity such as playing basketball, jumping rope, or running, along with increasing fluid intake and urination, can help facilitate the expulsion of the stones. If the stones are larger, over 0.5 cm, treatment with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is necessary. For stones larger than 1.5 cm, surgical intervention is required. Beyond these methods, there are no other treatments, and massage does not have a therapeutic effect.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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What should not be eaten with kidney stones

Patients with kidney stones do not have absolute dietary prohibitions. However, it is advisable to consume less food high in calcium, oxalates, and purines. Foods high in purines are mainly found in seafood, animal offal, beer, and beverages. High-calcium foods are primarily found in soy products and dairy products, such as soy milk, tofu, and cow's milk. Foods high in oxalates include celery, spinach, etc. These foods can be consumed in moderation in daily life, but should not be used in large amounts over a long period to avoid further growth and increase of stones. It is also important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and engage in appropriate physical exercise to effectively prevent the occurrence of kidney stones. Additionally, for patients who have already developed kidney stones, it is necessary to timely decide on conservative stone expulsion or surgical treatment based on the size of the stones.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Is kidney stone surgery painful?

For the treatment of kidney stones, larger kidney stones or multiple stones, stag-horn stones might consider surgical treatment. There are two types of surgery, the first is percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which involves inserting a nephroscope through a puncture in the kidney to break up and expel the stones from the body; the second type of surgery is ureteroscopy, which does not require an incision, by entering the kidney through the urethra and ureter, and then breaking up the stones and expelling them from the body. Both surgical methods are performed under anesthesia, so the patient will not feel pain. However, pain after ureteroscopy is typically less than that after percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which requires absolute bed rest post-operation, while ureteroscopy does not.