There's a song about pretty much everything, including kidney stones, believe it or not. So there's something there for whatever you happen to be suffering, you know?  Sinead O' Connor

KIDNEY STONES 

Are you experiencing persistent, excruciating flank (lower back) pain? This may be a warning sign of kidney stones. 

TESTING

Testing to verify the diagnosis includes looking for high levels of calcium or uric acid in the urine. A twenty-four hour urine collection requires drinking a lot of fluids to try and pass the stone. Imaging verification includes x-rays or CT scans.

These may show kidney stones in the urinary tract. Additional testing may include ultrasound and an intravenous pyelogram. 

TREATMENT

Small stones that don't block the kidney can be treated by your family doctor. consider. You may want to schedule a urology visit or nephrologist. 

Sometimes the stones are gradually passed through the ureters and into the bladder. Small stones usually pass in the urine with minimal discomfort. Drinking two to three quarts of water daily will flush out the urinary tract. In most cases, over the counter medicines, such as Motrin, Advil, or Naprosyn alleviate the pain. 

Stone analysis confirms the diagnosis. Uric acid stones can be treated with allopurinol to facilitate treatment. Long-term antibiotics in small doses helps treat the Struvite stones. Cystine stones more difficult to treat. drink more fluids. Consider medication that decreases cystine in the urine. Long-term use of antibiotics in small doses. 

Ultrasound may be used to pulverize the stone. This procedure lasts fourty-five to sixty minutes. Light anesthesia can facilitate the procedure. 

In rare cases, large stones that do not pass are removed by a ureteroscope with a camera and the surgery is often successful. Drinking copious amounts of water will help flush out the urinary tract.

PREVENTION 

Taking a thiazide diuretic may help prevent further stones. You can also reduce kidney stone risk by drinking water throughout the day. A diet that has fewer oxalate-rich foods, which include rhubarb, beets, okra, spinach, nuts, potatoes, chocolate, and black pepper is helpful as well. Calcium-rich foods may also reduce risk. 

                                                

To summarize, kidney stones are not life-threatening. The pain starts with lower level pain that may intensify surprisingly quickly. It hurts like heck, similar to taking your lower lip and pulling it over your head as Bill Cosby used to say (about delivering a baby). For men and women, if you have deep pain in the lower back area away from your spine, closer to your left and right sides, your next move should be a phone call should be to a urologist or a visit to the urgency care or emergency depending on the time of day and the intensity of the pain.

Source: https//www mayo clinic.org.