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Urethral Calculus
How to treat urethral stones?
Urethral stones can cause symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, pain during urination, and hematuria. In severe cases, they can completely block the urethra, leading to urinary retention. If the stones are relatively small, this condition can often be resolved by drinking plenty of fluids and urinating frequently, relying on the flushing action of the urine to expel the stones from the body. However, if the stones are larger and cause urinary retention, it is necessary to promptly use a cystoscope or ureteroscope to visually crush the stones with a holmium laser and expel them from the body. After the procedure, a urinary catheter is left in place, and recovery typically takes about a week. It is important to drink plenty of water and urinate frequently to prevent the formation of stones.
Causes of Urethral Stones
The formation of urethral stones generally does not occur in the urethra itself; most urethral stones form in the bladder or kidneys. During the process of stone elimination, they fall into the urethra, thus forming urethral stones. After urethral stones occur, patients often experience noticeable pain during urination and a sensation of urinary obstruction. Some patients may also exhibit symptoms of hematuria and should promptly visit the hospital's urology department for an ultrasound to determine the exact size and location of the stones. If the stones are small, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and urinate frequently to flush the stones out of the body. If the stones are larger and become lodged in the urethra, it is advised to seek surgical treatment as soon as possible to break down and eliminate the stones.
What does it feel like when there is a stone in the lower part of the urethra?
Urethral stones are generally divided into posterior urethral stones and anterior urethral stones, whereas ureteral stones are classified into upper, middle, and lower segments. For posterior or anterior urethral stones, the main symptoms include frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, a feeling of obstruction during urination, and in severe cases, hematuria or even urinary retention may occur. In such cases, timely lithotripsy and stone removal treatment are required. If the stone is in the lower segment of the ureter and pauses at a certain place, the patient often does not feel discomfort or might experience mild obscure pain. If the movement of the stone stimulates the ureter, it can cause pain in the lower abdomen, often accompanied by the presence of blood in the urine. Diagnosis can be confirmed through color ultrasound or CT scan. For stones in the lower segment of the ureter, treatment depends on the specific size of the stone. If the stone is relatively small, conservative stone expulsion treatment can be done; if the stone is large, surgical intervention is recommended as soon as possible.
How should urethral stones be treated?
For the treatment of urethral stones, it is first necessary to use ultrasound, CT scans, and other examinations to specifically determine the stone's location and size within the urethra for appropriate treatment. If the stone is small, such as around 5 millimeters, this condition can be managed by increasing water intake and frequent urination, relying on the flushing action of the urine to expel the stone from the body. If the stone is large and causing obstruction in the urethra, and if it is a posterior urethral stone, it is recommended to push the stone back into the bladder under cystoscopy, followed by lithotripsy. If it is an anterior urethral stone, the condition can be treated under ureteroscopy by using holmium laser lithotripsy, after which the stone can be squeezed out of the body or by injecting paraffin oil into the urethra to lubricate and then expel the stone.
What should I do about the stabbing pain from a urethral stone?
Urethral stones can cause urethral pain, painful urination, and even a feeling of urinary blockage, with severe cases leading to urinary retention. For urethral pain caused by stones, it is first necessary to examine the specific size and location of the stone within the urethra. If it is a small stone in the anterior urethra, it is advised to drink more water and urinate frequently to flush the stone out of the body with the flow of urine. If the stone is large and becomes lodged in the urethra, or even completely blocks the passage, causing urinary retention, it is recommended to undergo surgery as soon as possible. The stone should be crushed and expelled from the body, with a catheter left in place after surgery. The patient can usually be discharged from the hospital within three to five days.
What can you eat with urethral stones?
It is recommended that patients eat more diuretic foods and fruits, such as apples, pears, peaches, oranges, and especially watermelon, which can produce a large amount of urine, flush the urethra, and possibly carry out small stones. Also, it is important to drink plenty of water every day, more than two liters, especially before going to bed—at least 500 milliliters—so that the urine volume is greater the next morning, making it easier to flush out the stones. Furthermore, patients are advised not to eat spicy and irritating foods, not to drink alcohol, especially strong spirits, and not to eat seafood, as urinary stones can easily lead to symptoms of urinary infection, and consuming these spicy and irritating foods can worsen the symptoms of infection.
How to check for urethral stones
Urethral stone examinations are primarily divided into the following areas: Firstly, the physical examination provided by the clinical doctor which checks for urethral stones can be categorized into anterior and posterior urethral stones. For anterior urethral stones, one can feel a hard nodule inside the urethra with their hand. Combined with specific symptoms, such as sudden stabbing pain during urination or a sudden inability to urinate, and if there is a history of urinary system stones, then urethral stones might be considered. As for posterior urethral stones, they cannot be felt externally; if they are lodged at the prostate, a doctor might insert a finger into the rectum to touch the area around the prostate. If a hard nodule is felt upon pressing, then a posterior urethral stone might be considered. Secondly, a more accurate clinical exam is the plain film radiography of the urinary system, commonly known as X-rays. Generally, most stones contain calcium, and in such cases, the X-ray can reveal a hard nodule in either the posterior or anterior urethra, which can be diagnosed as urethral stones. Thirdly, the urinary system's CT scans can sometimes detect radiolucent stones, such as uric acid stones. It can also identify conditions like kidney hydronephrosis in the bladder and stones in other parts of the urinary system. If all examinations, including auxiliary checks, suggest the presence of urethral stones, treatment depends on the situation. If the anterior urethral stone is not large, stone retrieval may be performed. Posterior urethral stones are generally treated like bladder stones; after pushing them into the bladder using a cystoscope, the stones are broken down either by lithotripsy or laser.
Where does it hurt in the stomach when having urethral stones?
Urethral stones primarily refer to stones located within the urethra. Based on their location within the urethra, urethral stones are classified into anterior and posterior urethral stones. Posterior urethral stones typically indicate stones lodged at the position of the prostate. In such cases, the main areas of pain are the lower abdomen, the anal region, and the perineum. On the other hand, anterior urethral stones refer to stones located in the anterior urethra, with the usual sites of pain being the palpable area of the penile urethra, mainly presenting as painful urination. Therefore, examinations such as color ultrasound are necessary to precisely identify the location of the stones for targeted treatment.
What are the symptoms of urethral stones?
The symptoms of urethral stones are primarily related to the size and location of the stone. Smaller urethral stones generally do not cause discomfort and can be expelled from the body through urination. However, some urethral stones may cause pain within the urethra or even lead to the presence of blood in the urine. If the stone is large and lodges in the posterior urethra, it can cause complete obstruction of the urethra, leading to significant difficulty in urination, or even result in urinary retention. Therefore, the clinical manifestations of urethral stones vary depending on the size and location of the stone. If the stone is large and causes acute urinary infection or obstruction, leading to urinary retention, prompt surgical treatment is necessary.
Is urethral calculus easy to treat?
Urethral stones are relatively easy to treat. For smaller stones, drinking more water and urinating frequently can help flush the stones out of the body with the flow of urine. If the stones are larger and cause blood in the urine, difficulty urinating, or even urinary retention, they can also be treated with a cystoscope or ureteroscope. Under direct vision, the stones can be broken up with a holmium laser and removed, generally without the need for open surgery. Therefore, if you suffer from urethral stones, there is no need to worry excessively. It is sufficient to promptly visit the hospital's urology department for diagnostic procedures such as ultrasounds or CT scans to determine the exact size and location of the stones, and then choose the appropriate treatment method.