How long does it take to pass a kidney stone?

Kidney stones are painful. There are no two ways about that.

And if you’re currently experiencing it, then you’re wondering when you’ll be free of this nuisance.

While there is no hard and fast rule as to when a kidney stone will pass, there are a number of things you can do as an individual or as a caregiver to help your loved one get rid of a kidney stone.

Passing a kidney stone – How to speed the process along

Regardless of the size of a kidney stone, it is important to report to a doctor immediately so they can help determine the best course of action. If the stone is small enough, the doctor might send you or your loved one home with instructions to drink more fluids so the stone can pass. Once they determine it is a large kidney stone, there are medical procedures that can be used to break up or remove the stone.
If your doctor determines that the stones are small enough to be passed, they will recommend that you drink more fluids. One of the causes of kidney stones is dehydration. If your body doesn’t not have enough water to dissolve the salts and minerals in your body, it can lead to kidney stones. So drinking a lot of water will help that stone pass quicker.
Pain medication. Kidney stones are painful. Pain killers can help to reduce the pain so you can move around and perform your daily activities. Moving around could also help with breaking apart the stones and help you or loved one pass the stones easily.

Passing a kidney stone: Special circumstances to pay attention to

Even if you’ve seen a doctor previously and you notice that your urine is cloudy, you should go again.

Cloudy urine indicates that there is an infection.

If a medical professional does not treat the infection, sepsis (the spread of bacteria through the body) can happen. Sepsis regularly causes death.

Thus, cloudy urine should move you to action immediately.

So how long again?

According to the American Urological Association, once a kidney stone makes it way to the urinary tract, it will pass within 2 days.

However, it is not unusual for a kidney stone to take up to 40 days to pass.

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