Kidney Stones Risk Factors

How your urologist in Milford, MA, can help if you have kidney stones

Kidney stones can be excruciating. They can make it difficult to think about anything else. Fortunately, your urologist can help you get relief from kidney stone pain. Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg at Urology Specialists of Milford, in Milford, MA, offers comprehensive medical care for urological conditions, including treatment for kidney stones.

There are a few factors that can put you at greater risk of developing kidney stones. For example, men are much more likely to get kidney stones than women. Other risk factors include:

  • A history of previous kidney stones
  • A family history of kidney stones
  • Not staying hydrated by drinking enough water
  • Eating a high protein, high sodium, or high sugar diet
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Having had intestinal or gastric bypass surgery
  • Having cystic or polycystic kidney disease
  • Taking diuretics or calcium-based antacid medications
  • Having a condition causing swelling or irritation of your joints or bowel
  • Having a condition which causes high levels of cystine, uric acid, calcium, or oxalate in your urine

Kidney stones are small masses caused by minerals and other substances combining in your urine. Sometimes these small masses will pass out of your body through your urine stream without causing any signs or symptoms. Other times, a kidney stone may be large enough to stay in your body, causing noticeable signs and symptoms like these:

  • Blood in your urine or pain when you urinate
  • A feeling of needing to urinate frequently
  • Back, side, or abdominal pain
  • Vomiting, nausea, and a fever

If you have large, painful kidney stones, Dr. Steinberg can help. A very successful kidney stone treatment he may recommend is Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy, also known as ESWL. The treatment works by using shock waves which break the kidney stone into smaller pieces, which then pass through your urine stream.

ESWL is non-invasive and has been proven safe and effective for the treatment of kidney stones. It is provided on an outpatient basis while you are sedated. The kidney stone pieces typically pass out of your body in a few weeks.

If you think you might have kidney stones, don’t wait! Talk with your urologist. Call Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg of Urology Specialists of Milford, in Milford, MA, at (508) 473-6333. Call now!

Urology Specialists of Milford, LLC

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