Pharmacy Clinical Pearl of the Day: Bladder Stones

Clinical Pearl of the Day: Bladder Stones

Bladder stones are hard masses of minerals in your bladder.

Insight:

• Bladder stones develop when the minerals in concentrated urine crystallize and form stones.
• This often happens when you have trouble completely emptying your bladder.
• Symptoms include pain in the lower abdominal, pain during urination, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, and cloudy or abnormally dark-colored urine.
• The most common conditions that cause bladder stones are prostate gland enlargement and damaged nerves.
• The doctor may diagnose the bladder stone through physical exam, a urine test, CT scan, ultrasound, or X-ray.
• Treatment includes drinking lots of water, which may help a small stone pass naturally. However, because bladder stones are often caused by difficulty emptying your bladder completely, extra water may not be enough to make the stone pass.
• Other treatments include breaking stones apart with a laser using the help of ultrasound, and, if too large, then removing them surgically.

Sources:

Bladder stones - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

bladder stone - Google Search