About 1 in 10 men and 1 in 17 women in the United States develop kidney stones at least once. You likely know someone who’s experienced this painful condition.
Our board-certified nephrologists at Renal Clinic of Houston, with six locations in and around Houston, Texas, diagnose and treat many patients with kidney stones. Each person’s experience with kidney stones is unique, and we tailor our treatment to your needs.
Kidney stones are hard clumps of material formed from crystallized minerals and salts. They may remain in your kidneys but can move through your urinary system.
Some kidney stones are small enough to pass through your body without causing pain. You don’t know you have them.
However, excess salt and minerals can form larger clumps that block your urinary tract. Your ureter is a tube that connects your kidneys to your bladder. A kidney stone that moves into a ureter can cause painful symptoms.
You may have severe pain on one side of your lower back and feel sick to your stomach. You might experience vomiting, fever, and chills. Your urine is cloudy and may have a sour odor.
At Renal Clinic of Houston, we use ultrasound technology to find your kidney stone and determine its size — information we need to guide your treatment. If possible, you provide us with a urine sample so we know what elements make up your kidney stone.
The size of your kidney stone guides our treatment. If it’s small enough, we may prescribe medication to help it pass with minimal discomfort. You need to drink lots of water to help move the kidney stone through your urinary tract.
If the stone is too large to pass through your system, and you’re in distress, we offer several minimally invasive techniques that can help. Your therapy options include:
Your nephrologist advises you on which treatments are advisable for you based on your diagnosis. Contact the Renal Clinic of Houston location near you by phone or online today if you’re experiencing symptoms of a kidney stone.
