Kidney Stones in WomenThe kidneys are needed to help with filtering out the waste from the water and help with urination. However, kidney stones in women are common. Most of the time, the stones will move out of the body on their own but there are times when treatment is necessary.

What are kidney stones in women?

A kidney stone in a woman forms the exact same way that it does in a man. The stones are formed from the minerals and salts that are in your urine. They become crystallized but are small so most people will not notice them. In fact, the majority of women will have had at least one kidney stone in their lives, without ever realizing.Kidney stones in women

There are times that the kidney stones do not leave the body naturally, which is when a build up occurs.

The stones then become stuck and are painful. There are times that they will become infected by causing a blockage and if left untreated, they can cause kidney damage. ( Kidney infection)

The symptoms of kidney stones in women

The most common symptom of kidney stone in a woman is the pain experienced. This usually forms in the back or just on one side – the side of the problematic kidney. The pain will move into the stomach and groin area if it is left untreated.

The color of the urine is a common symptom that there is a kidney stone. It will be cloudy because the urine has to pass the crystallized salt and mineral. There may also be blood in the urine, which is something that you need to talk to a doctor about immediately as this is a sign of infection.

A burning feeling may also be there when you do urinate and there are chances that you will need to pee a lot more often than usual.

If there is an infection, the general infection symptoms such as fevers, chills and nausea may start to manifest. However, all of these symptoms are also the same for urinary tract infection and cystitis so you will need to talk to your doctor to find out the real cause.

The treatment of kidney stones in women

Because there are different levels of problems for kidney stones in women, it means that the treatment is different. Most of the time you will get treatment to administer at home and not have to go into the hospital for surgery.

The type of treatment for kidney stones will also be dependent on the size of the kidney stone found. Those that are smaller than 5 mm will usually be passed through your body naturally so there is nothing a doctor can do. You will need to keep drinking water so that it can be flushed out. If you have severe pains or sickness from the stones, there are medicines that a doctor will prescribe to aid with the treatment.

When it has been six weeks and the stone is still there, a doctor will usually prescribe some medication. Antibiotics are used to help with treating infections that have occurred, which is likely if the stone has stuck around for too long. There are also medicines that will help to pass the stone, which are known as medical expulsing therapies.

Assessing kidney stones in women

There are times that the kidney stone will need to be assessed, so your doctor will ask you to catch it. This means that every time you pee, you will need to use a tea strainer. You should make sure that this is clean and sterilized to prevent other infections. When the stone has been analyzed, the doctor will be able to help you prevent them from happening again.