At some point in life, almost five percent of us are diagnosed with kidney stones, or calculi. Usually, kidney stones are barely perceptible, but the moment they move from the kidney to the bladder, they cause excruciating pains. The calculi are solid substances that are formed when the minerals that are to be found in the urine become solid crystals in the kidney. When the kidney is not working properly, these small pieces of crystals cannot e removed and they thus form larger stones. At this point, the stone begins to move out of the kidney in the direction of the bladder.

The calculi are diagnosed by using blood tests, urine tests, the taking of X-ray images, the intravenous urogram, an ultrasound scan. The treatment of the kidney stones always depends on the type of the stone and on the cause that led to the formation of the calculi. The best way of preventing the appearance of calculi is by drinking more than two liters of water every day and by exercising a lot. These should help your body in eliminating any type of stones in your body.

The stones that are stuck on ureter can be removed under the advice of a specialist. He/she will offer you the appropriate treatment for your condition. The most popular and the most used method of removing kidney stones is the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). This involves the locating of the calculus by using the X-ray imaging or ultrasound scanning, and after having located the stone, the machine sends shock waves that fragment the kidney stone in very small crystals that have the appropriate size in order to be able to be eliminated through the urine. This intervention is performed under anesthesia, and, therefore, no pain is implied.

Another type of method that is used in the treating of calculi is by using an ureteroscopic stone removal instrument. This instrument is extremely flexible which allows it to be passed through the urethra and bladder in order to reach the stone from the ureter. Once the stone is found, it is removed or destroyed with the laser beans found at the end of the instrument. Anesthesia is performed in this case too.

The removal of the kidney stones by be dine by using surgical treatment, namely the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), which consists in the performance of a cut in the back of the back and then, by using a telescopic instrument, the stone is either removed or divided into small pieces with the help of a laser. PCNL is also performed under anesthesia which can affect for some time your reasoning feelings, but they ill disappear shortly.

These treatments are recommended only in the situations in which the stones are too big and there are needed, therefore, more serious medical interventions. In the case of the smaller pieces of calculi, they are normally eliminated in two days, during urination. This capacity to eliminate the stones depends nonetheless on the size of a person, of his/her medical state, and the size of the stone. The smaller the stone, the easier the passage.

But if the stones are too large to be able to pass through the bladder, then the surgical procedures are required. Such procedures are the lithotripsy (the using of the shock waves in order to destroy the stones), the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (by making a small incision in the back skin), or by using the ureteroscope. The treatment of the calculi also involves a healthy diet, especially the drinking of lots of water, and the use of a medical prescription in order to remove the symptoms.