What Is Considered a Large Kidney Stone?
Any kidney stone that is above 6 mm in diameter is considered a large kidney stone, as stated by NHS. Such stones will not get better on their own so medical treatment may be required to heal. Small kidney stones, 4 mm and below in diameter, will heal on their own after a while and may not make a person experience pain.
A kidney stone is a solid hard mass that forms in the kidney due to accumulation of certain materials in the blood. Kidney stones vary in sizes. A large kidney stone may get stuck in the urinary tract and may inhibit the flow of urine. This leads to severe pain and bleeding. A person with kidney stones will need to be admitted to the hospital if pregnant, 60 years and above, experiencing dehydration, have extensive symptoms and are at risk of kidney failure, as stated by NHS.
The symptoms a person may experience includes vomiting, blood in the urine, fever, abdominal pain, pain during urination and foul smell in the urine. There are different treatment options for large kidney stones including open surgery, ureteroscopy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). The type of treatment a person will have depends on the size and the location of the kidney stone.
