Kidney stone formations are caused
by the calcium and salts and acids that do not
dissolve and get flushed out from the kidneys. As
time passes, these minerals crystallize and bond
together, forming a stone. Because the stones are
difficult to expel from the body, they are extremely
painful as they move through the digestive tract.
Once developed in the kidneys, the stones move into
the ureter that connects the kidneys and the
bladder. This is a very small tube, and the movement
of these stones and the strain it puts on the ureter
causes extreme pain.
Symptoms include pain in the back or below the
ribs. This pain escalates then disappears on a 60
minute cycle. Other symptoms include nausea;
frequent urination; and fever or chills.
When you begin to suffer from these symptoms, it
is best to see the doctor about it. The doctor may
CT scan or X-ray, to determine the size, the number
of the stones, and their location.
Once the doctor has evaluated and have found out
all the information he or she may need to figure out
your kidney stones, the doctor should be able to
estimate how long does it take to pass a stone in
your case. The doctor will also give you a strainer
that allows you to catch the stone when it passed.
This allows the doctor to further analyze your
kidney stones.
There is no exact science on how long does it
take to pass a kidney stone. From the start of the
symptoms it can take hours, days, or even weeks to
pass the stone. But the larger the stone is, the
longer it will pass.
Kidney stones that are 6 mm or greater in size
takes a lot longer to pass especially if medical
methods of treatment are not applied. Since the time
frame is longer, doctors may at times require the
use of surgical methods to break up the stone. This
is essential since the longer a kidney stone stays
in the body, the higher the chances that he or she
may suffer from an infection. Therefore, the
immediate removal of the stones is in order.
