From there, the stones can move through the urinary tract, causing extreme pain. Although women suffer from kidney stones, men are more likely to have them. Symptoms include pain in the lower back and side as the stone moves toward the bladder. If the stone is too large to pass, it may irritate the lining of the urinary tract and cause blood in the urine. Preventing kidney stones is still somewhat of a mystery.
Most doctors agree that drinking plenty of water helps prevent kidney stones.
But unless your family has a history of kidney stones, or if you've already had them yourself, there is no way to tell whether or not you will experience them. The good news is that the treatment of kidney stones has improved greatly from invasive surgery to newer, revolutionary methods such as lithotripsy. Lithotripsy uses sonic waves to target and shatter kidney stones into smaller fragments that then pass painlessly through your bladder. The procedure is safe and convenient with a minimum of post-treatment discomfort. Because lithotripsy is non-invasive, it is one of the safest and most effective ways to treat kidney stones.