How do you get rid of bladder stones?

Vesical calculus or cystoliths are mineral deposits that lead to the formation of kidney stones in one’s bladder. This usually takes place when urination doesn’t lead to the complete emptying of the bladder, and the residual urine sediments to form crystals. Normally, these stones pass in the urine, but sometimes they are large enough to block the urinary tract and bladder. These stones need to be identified through X-rays. These conditions can lead to the formation of either one stone or multiple bladder stones. 

 

Kidney stones are generally asymptomatic, but, sometimes, may give you certain signs, which, upon noticing, must prompt you to seek professional medical guidance: 

 

·  Pain and / or irritation in the penis (in case of men)

·  Irregular urination 

·  Pain in the lower stomach area

·  Blood in the urine

Although bladder stones can occur due to a number of causes, some notable ones are: 

·  Neurogenic Bladder: This happens when the nerves between the bladder and nervous system are affected

·  Prostate Enlargement: This can cause disruption in the urine flow  

·  Bladder inflammation: UTI and radiation therapy are known to cause this 

·  Bladder diverticula: These are caused due to the formation of bladder pouches 

·  Cystocele: This happens in women when the bladder walls become weak ultimately leading to bladder stones 

 

Bladder & Renal Stones Treatment

 

Usually the doctor will recommend the patient to drink lots of water to help push out the bladder stones through the urinary tract; but this might work only for small stones. If the stones are big and pose difficulty for the patient to push out, the doctor may employ either of these two methods -

 

1.    One of the methods is to use medication and / general anesthesia to render unconsciousness, following which the doctor will insert a laparoscope into the bladder to get a clear picture. Once examined, the doctor may use an ultrasound or a similar device to break down the stone/s and flush it out through the bladder.

2.    The doctor may even opt to perform a surgical removal of the stones if the stones are too hard / large to be broken down in order to carry out successful renal stones treatment.

 

Prevention of Bladder stones

Bladder stones are caused when minerals build up in the bladder and form into small ‘stones’. Mostly affecting older males, bladder stones can be uncomfortable. Basically, the leftover urine becomes concentrated and minerals within the liquid turn into crystals. Sometimes, these stones will be passed while they are very small. Other times, bladder stones can get stuck to the wall of the bladder or ureter.

Symptoms:

• Discomfort or pain in the penis for males
• More frequent urination or a stop-start flow
• Pain in the lower stomach area
• Presence of blood in the urine
• Pain and discomfort while urinating

Prevention:

As bladder stones are caused by a range of medical illnesses, there are no specific ways to prevent them. However, if an individual experiences any odd urinary symptoms- pain, discoloration, blood- getting an earlier medical opinion is advised. Some of the techniques include:

• Increase fluid intake to lower urine concentration (2-3 liters a day)
• Regular emptying of the bladder
• Double voiding to increase emptying of urine from the bladder
• Using laxatives to avoid constipation

These techniques are often beneficial and help to stop the formation of Kidney stones with minimal adverse effects on the individual.

Backed by a set of erudite surgeons and world-class facilities, NU Hospitals has proven itself to provide one of the best bladder and renal stones treatments in India.