What helps kidney stones pass faster?

What helps kidney stones pass faster?

Although urinary system stone disease is mostly known as kidney stone disease among the people, stones that cause serious pain are usually located in the ureter, which is the channel that provides urine transport between the kidney and the bladder.

Urinary system stone disease may cause serious loss of kidney function and kidney failure. Sometimes it can progress insidiously without any symptoms but often stone can evince serious symptoms depending on the location of the urinary system and the obstruction in the kidney or ureter.

These stones may be located in various parts of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and sometimes even in the urethra, which is the urinary tract beyond the prostate.

Naturally, the most common thought of individuals who encounter this disease; Questions such as ‘How do you facilitate a kidney stone passage?', ‘How much time does stone take to pass from ureter?’, ‘What helps kidney stones pass faster?’, ‘Are kidney stones spontaneous?’, ‘What drink good for kidney stones?’ and 'Does beer passage the kidney stone?' are asked.

The most common symptoms are

• Severe flank pain (from severe painful periods in fluctuations to pain-free periods),
• Pain in the groin and genital area,
• Nausea, vomiting,
• Burning in urination,
• Frequent urination,
• Difficulty urinating,
• Color change, darkening or bleeding in the urine,
• Fever and weakness due to infection in the kidney,
• Rarely, fatigue due to kidney failure,
• General condition disorder,
• Edema in the body.

Which stones pass?

As the size of the stone increases, the probability of passage will decrease. It would be more appropriate to wait for the stones to be passed, especially for stones smaller than 5-6 mm, without long-term pain onset, and which do not cause kidney failure and infection and have felt down into the tube (ureter).

Location of the stone; The further down (distally) the stone is, the greater the chance of it passing. In particular, the probability of the stones coming up to the bladder to fall is very high, while the probability of the stones that have just come out of the kidney decreases.

For stones that have existed for a long time and have been causing pain for weeks, they should be intervened regardless of their size. There's no use in waiting. On the contrary, as the stones in the tube block the system, it can lead to dysfunction in the kidney.

How to help kidney stone pass?

◆ Adequate and high water consumption increases the likelihood of stones in the tube (ureter) to pass with the increase in urine volume. Although the recommended water consumption varies according to the age, weight and climate, I recommend consuming an average of 4 liters of water for an adult during the stone period.

◆ BEER: As a urologist, one of the most common urban legends we encounter is the issue of 'beer's benefits for stone removal'. Beer causes an increase in urine output relative to its diuretic effect. However, this effect passes within 1-2 hours after consumption ends. Beer consumption is not logical as it may take days for kidney stones to descend into the tube and continuous urine output is required. Moreover, it is known that long-term alcohol exposure increases stone formation. In the method whose basic logic is to "increase the urine output", the easiest to consume and the most useful liquid is WATER.

◆ Hot application can also help to reduce pain and stone removal by causing relaxation in smooth muscles.

◆ Based on the logic of hot application, our patients ask the question 'Is the spa good for kidney stones?'. Yes, swimming these hot springs and bath pools can be beneficial for you to reduce your stone by expanding the urinary tubes (ureter).

◆ Should our patients believe in the sources available in various regions as 'water that dissolves kidney stones'? The answer to this question is definitely 'NO'. In fact, these waters may not be suitable for heavy metals and bacteria, such as normal mains or carboy waters. Let alone passing the stone, it may even harm you. The journey of drinking water starting from the mouth is esophagus, stomach, intestines, lymphatic and veins, heart, lung, heart again and finally kidney. When you know this journey, you will understand that drinking water will not go directly to the kidney and that it goes through various processes until it reaches the kidney, and this urban legend will not make sense.

◆ Our patients are also in search of a 'medicine that dissolves stones'. Unfortunately, such a drug does not exist. There is only such a drug for uric acid stone, which constitutes 5-10% of all stones, and it takes a long time to dissolve the stone. It is a low-availability method.

◆ Although there is no medicine that dissolves the stone, there are some medicines that help to pass the stone especially for 'stones locate into the tubes'. It is known the drugs that we use for prostate enlargement and that provide comfortable urination by relaxing the canal in the prostate and the bladder neck, also expand the lower part of the urinary tubes (ureter). Both alpha blockers and PDE-5 inhibitors are used scientifically in stone disease.

◆ There are also herbal medicines that have been scientifically proven to help the stone passage in the tubes. These treatments, known as plant-derived terpenes, in the form of capsules or drops, especially benefit our patients with small stones who have entered the ureter.

◆ It is known that it is beneficial in passing the stone with the effect of gravity in physical movements such as running, jumping, jumping rope.

◆ Finally, in 2015, a scientific study based, in which I also took part, showed the benefit of sexual intercourse 2-3 times a week in removing small stones in the tubes (ureter). This data has also been proven by many subsequent scientific articles.

As a result, the passage of kidney stones that leave the kidney and descend into the tubes depends on many factors. Since serious conditions ranging from severe kidney infections to kidney failure can be encountered even in small stones, some stones can be expected to pass with the follow-up of a urologist.

It would be useful to have the falling stones analyzed if possible. Surgical intervention is essential for stones that impair the quality of life, cause pain for days, cause deterioration in kidney functions, and cause infection in the urinary system.