Kidney Stones

Dr. McDowall sees patients that have experienced their second kidney stone. He incorporates diet and weight loss program in the preventive management of kidney stones.

What Are Kidneys Stones?

Kidney stones are made of salts and minerals in the urine that stick together to form small “pebbles.” They can be as small as grains of sand or as large as golf balls. They may stay in your kidneys or travel down the ureters, the tubes that conduct the urine from the kidneys to the bladder.When a stone travels through a ureter, it may cause no pain. Or it may cause great pain and other symptoms.

What Causes Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones form when a change occurs in the normal balance of water, salts, minerals or other things found in urine. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Try to drink enough water to keep your urine clear. Some people are more likely to get kidney stones because of a medical condition or family history.
Kidney stones may also be an inherited disease. If other people in your family have had them, you may have them too.

Kidney stones often cause no pain while they are in the kidneys, but they can cause sudden, severe pain as they travel from the kidneys to the bladder.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones :

  • extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
  • blood in your urine
  • fever and chills
  • vomiting
  • urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
  • a burning feeling when you urinate

Dr. McDowall treats various kidney disorders like acid-base disorders, electrolyte disorders, uncontrolled high blood pressure, nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. .

Dr. McDowall will run diagnostic tests including blood and urine tests and kidney ultrasound on site to determine your condition and the appropriate treatment.

Don’t hesitate to discuss any aspect of your health. We can advise and consult with you on your nutrition, level of activity, and other things that can have an effect on your blood pressure, and kidneys.