Urine with high levels of minerals and salts can lead to the formation of kidney stones. If a kidney stone travels down the ureter, the tube between the kidney and the bladder, these are called ureteral stones.
Causes
- Low urine volume — caused by dehydration from activity or not drinking enough fluids
- Diet — too much calcium intake; over consumption of animal protein, such as beef, fish, chicken and pork; eating too many foods rich in oxalate
- Bowel conditions that cause diarrhea, leading to low urine volume
- Obesity
- Certain medical conditions
- Some medications and/or calcium and vitamin C supplements
- Family history of stones
Symptoms
Symptoms usually include pain, nausea and vomiting.
Diagnosis
Doctors may conduct several tests, such as the following:
- Urinalysis to look for signs of infection and examine substance levels in your urine that cause ureteral stones
- Blood test to reveal how well your kidneys are functioning, check for infection and look for other problems that may cause ureteral stones
- Ultrasound to look for blockages in your ureters
- Computed tomography (CT) scan to determine your ureteral stone’s size, location and hardness
Treatment
The type of stone will determine how it is treated. Options may include the following:
- No treatment: Let the stone pass on its own.
- Medication: Your doctor may prescribe medications to improve the chance that a stone will pass.
- Ureteroscopy: Your doctor will use a small telescope, called a ureteroscope, to pass through the urethra and bladder and up the ureter to the stone. Then, a small device like a basket secures the smaller stones and removes them. If a stone is too large, it is broken into pieces. Within a few weeks, these smaller pieces of stones will pass through your urine.
Surgery may be needed if …
- The stone fails to pass.
- The pain is too great to wait for the stone to pass.
- The stone is affecting kidney function.
Surgery is recommended if stones cause repeated infections in the urine or block the flow of urine from the kidney.