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Bladder stones
What should be paid attention to with bladder stones?
Bladder stones are stones formed inside the bladder, including both primary and secondary bladder stones. The typical symptoms of bladder stones are pain and hematuria, often accompanied by interrupted urine flow, which is a distinctive manifestation of bladder stones. Through ultrasound examination of the urinary system, the size, shape, and number of stones inside the bladder can be detected. For the treatment of bladder stones, small stones can typically pass through the urethra on their own, generally if they are less than 0.6 centimeters. Larger bladder stones can be treated with intravesical lithotripsy. Methods of lithotripsy include extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and transurethral lithotripsy to break and remove the stones. Additionally, individuals with bladder stones should drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and avoid spicy and irritating foods.
Bladder stone symptoms in women
The most common symptom of bladder stones is pain, often episodic pain in the lower back or upper abdomen, severe and unbearable. The pain can travel along the ureter, radiating to the lateral abdomen and can also involve the labia. Then, there may also be hematuria; usually, it is microscopic hematuria, but a few patients may have gross hematuria, meaning that the urine visibly turns red during urination. Additionally, there may be symptoms of nausea and vomiting, possibly due to the stones causing mucosal ruptures in the kidney, ureter, or bladder, leading to inflammation. Furthermore, the stones might press on the intrinsic nerves of the ureter and intestines, causing nausea and vomiting, often accompanying renal colic. Another typical sign is bladder irritation, characterized by symptoms such as frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination.
Causes of bladder stones
There are two causes of bladder stones: First, it may be due to kidney stones that move down through the ureter and form bladder stones. Second, it is mainly due to obstructions in the urinary tract, such as an enlarged prostate, which causes the patient's bladder to not completely empty the urine each time, leading to urinary retention. Over time, stones can develop in the bladder and thus form bladder stones. The treatment of bladder stones depends on the size of the stone. You can visit the urology department of your local hospital for examination and treatment.
What department should I go to for bladder stones?
Bladder stones are a condition treated by the urology department, requiring medical examination and treatment at a hospital. The treatment method chosen depends on the specific size of the stones. If the diameter of the stone is less than 7 millimeters, conservative treatment can be adopted, which involves drinking more water and urinating frequently to flush the stones out of the body. If the stones are larger, they need to be crushed before being expelled or directly removed through the use of a cystoscope. Under cystoscopy, stones can be crushed using a Holmium laser and then removed. After surgery, drinking plenty of water and urinating frequently can help prevent the recurrence of stones.
Postoperative care for minimally invasive bladder stone surgery
Minimally invasive surgery for bladder stones primarily involves performing a holmium laser lithotripsy through a ureteroscope via the urethra. During the procedure, some of the fragmented stones are flushed out of the body. After the surgery, a urinary catheter is installed to assist with urination. On the first day after surgery, patients are not allowed to eat due to the effects of anesthesia. On the second day, patients can consume a light liquid diet. In terms of care, it is important to monitor whether the urinary catheter is clear and unobstructed.
Are bladder stones easy to pass?
Patients with bladder stones, if the stones are less than 0.5 cm in size, can promote the natural expulsion of the stones by drinking more water and urinating frequently. If the stones are larger, over 0.5 cm in size, treatment may require extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgery. For patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, generally, if the stones are between 0.5-1.5 cm in size, this treatment can be performed. After the treatment, it is also necessary to drink more water and urinate frequently to facilitate the expulsion of the stones. For larger stones, over 1.5 cm, surgical treatment is required.
What should be paid attention to in the diet for bladder stones?
If the bladder stones are oxalate stones, to prevent their formation, one should avoid eating foods high in oxalates, such as spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, strong tea, coffee, chocolate, etc. If the stones are urate, one should reduce the intake of foods high in uric acid, such as animal offal and seafood. It is important to drink more water regularly to develop a good habit of hydration, as increased water intake can dilute the urine crystals, making it easier for stones to be expelled from the body. Thirdly, eat less high-fat food and avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as animal offal, abstain from smoking and drinking, and reduce meat consumption.
Clinical manifestations of bladder stones
Generally speaking, a typical clinical manifestation of bladder stones is the sudden interruption of urination. That is, the patient may start to urinate normally, but then suddenly becomes unable to urinate midway through. Urination can resume once the patient changes position. Therefore, this sudden interruption of urination is a classic symptom of bladder stones. Of course, bladder stones can also cause other urinary tract irritation symptoms, such as frequent urination, urgency, pain during urination, and hematuria (blood in urine).
How to effectively treat bladder stones?
The treatment of bladder stones should be based on the specific size and volume of the stones in the patient. For bladder stones smaller than 1.5 centimeters, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be used. After the treatment, the patient should drink plenty of water and urinate frequently at home to facilitate the expulsion of the stones. One week later, the patient should return to the hospital for a follow-up ultrasound to observe the condition of the stone expulsion. For bladder stones larger than 1.5 centimeters, surgery is often required.
Can bladder stones cause frequent and urgent urination?
Patients with bladder stones may experience frequent and urgent urination, and some may also experience painful urination or even blood in the urine. This is primarily due to the movement of stones within the bladder, which irritates the mucous membrane. It is essential to treat bladder stones promptly. Treatment can be sought at the urology department of local hospitals, where the choice of treatment method depends on the size of the stones. Options include extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgical treatment.