Many people don't know that stones can form in the bladder. These stones which form when waste products crystallise are usually made of calcium. They vary in size and quantity depending on how long the problem has been allowed to develop. It is possible for up to 200 pea-sized stones to be found, when surgery to remove them is inevitable, if diagnosis and treatment is left too long.
Frequent urination may be the first sign of bladder stones forming and this is likely to be the result of prostate gland enlargement. An enlarged prostate constricts the flow of urine from the bladder and prevents it emptying fully. Urine left in the bladder stagnates and stones form from the waste products which aren't flushed out of the system.
Bladder Stones are More Likely in Men Over 45
Men are far more likely to develop bladder stones than women and the chances of doing so increase beyond 45 years of age. If the cause is an enlarged prostate gland this is likely to be benign and not cancerous. The fear of cancer is probably the main reason why men fail to seek medical advice at an early stage. Early diagnosis and treatment prevents the build up of stones and the resultant pain, discomfort and inconvenience resulting from delay.
Symptoms of Bladder Stones
Bladder stones often prevent urine flowing freely and they can also scratch the bladder lining, causing irritation and increasing susceptibility to infection. They may cause a wide variety of symptoms:
- Small stones pass out of the bladder when urinating. In the early days, they give no pain.
- When stones become larger and there are more of them, pain is experienced when passing urine.
- blood in the urine
- difficulty passing urine
- urgent or frequent need to pass urine
- very weak flow of urine which stops and starts
- a feeling that the bladder never empties fully
- disturbed sleep due to frequent visits to the toilet
Tests to Identify Bladder Stones
The following tests can be used to find the cause of the above symptoms:
- blood tests
- X-rays
- urine tests
- ultrasound scans, which are the most revealing
Treatments for Bladder Stones
In order to flush bladder stones out of the body, they must be broken down into small fragments. During a cystoscopy, an instrument is passed into the bladder which breaks down the stones using laser or ultrasound energy.
Lithrothripsy is normally a hospital treatment using high-energy sound waves applied outside the body to break up the stones and make them small enough to pass from the bladder with the urine.
Where the stones are more plentiful and larger as a result of an enlarged prostate and delayed action, then surgery is necessary. This usually takes the form of a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP. This operation, which involves a short stay (usually two days) in hospital is in effect a reboring of the prostate to relieve obstruction to the flow of urine. Stones are removed during this operation. Following this operation, a catheter has to be worn for a short period. Nomal activities should not be resumed for at least a month after surgery.
Sexual potency and the ability to perform the sexual act is not usually affected by this operation, but a TURP makes most men unable to father children (but it is not a 100% accurate method of birth control) . This is due to a condition known as retrograde ejaculation, which basically means that after the operation, semen goes back into the bladder rather than out through the penis. It is, however, harmlessly flushed out with the urine later on.
Preventing Bladder Stones Recurring
It pays to make an early appointment with the doctor as soon as any signs of bladder stones are noticed, because the remedy will be easier and quicker. As bladder stones can often recur, cutting down the chances of this happening is common sense. Drink plenty of fluid every day, as lots of water is one of the best defences.
Sources of Information Used in This Article
http://www.cks.nhs.uk
http://www.westernurology.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health
David Haigh - David Haigh is a 'Master of Horticulture', a qualification awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society. He spent almost 40 years as a ...
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