Stones can be excruciatingly painful and concerning, but with the right medical care and support, you can protect your urinary health and find relief from your pain. The diligent urologists of Arizona Urology offer solutions and treatments for kidney, bladder, and urethral stones at four locations in Goodyear, Glendale, and Gilbert, Arizona. The focus isn’t just on treating existing stones, but on preventing future stones and complications that diminish wellness and quality of life. Call Arizona Urology today.
A stone refers to a hard deposit made of minerals and salts that forms inside a certain area of your body, such as your kidneys, bladder, or urethra. Stones often form when the urine becomes concentrated and allows minerals to crystallize and stick together.
Some stones might not cause symptoms until they move around within your kidney or passes into your ureter – the tube that connects your kidney and bladder. At this point, you might experience certain signs or symptoms, such as:
As the stone moves through your urinary tract, the pain caused by the stone might change or increase in intensity or location.
Stones develop when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as oxalate, uric acid, and calcium, than the fluid in your urine can dilute. Your urine might also lack the substances that prevent the crystals from sticking together.
Most stones are calcium stones that are typically in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in your food, and it’s also produced by your liver every day. Some vegetables and fruits, nuts, and chocolate have higher oxalate content.
Struvite stones develop in response to an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. Uric acid stones usually develop in people with gout and in those who don’t drink enough fluids or who lose too much fluid.
It isn’t always clear what causes stones, and multiple factors might play a role, such as:
Intestinal bypass surgery can also increase the concentration of oxalate or calcium in the urine.
After various testing, such as urine or blood testing and imaging, and an in-depth consultation, your urologist might suggest certain treatments, such as:
In some cases, you might just need to drink water and rest to pass a kidney stone, but if stones become lodged in the urinary tract and are associated with a urinary infection and causing complications, surgery might be the right solution.
Arizona Urology offers different types of surgical procedures and treatments for stones, including innovative laser technology to vaporize the stones.
Find quality treatment for stones from experienced urologists. Call Arizona Urology.