pain in side Tag

Is It Kidney Stones?

A sharp, throbbing pain in the back or kidneys may be your first indication that you have kidney stones. A leading cause of trips to the ER, kidney stones can be very debilitating. Over 500,000 people go to the ER each year for kidney stones, and one in ten people will experience them at some point in their lives.¹ The physicians at Medco ER in Plano, TX, are here to help you identify and understand the problems associated with a blockage of the ureter caused by kidney stones.

Symptoms²

• Sharp pain in your back, side, abdomen or groin
• Blood in the urine – pink, red or brown
• Urgent and frequent need to urinate
• Painful urination
• Cloudy urine
• Bad smelling urine
• Inability to urinate
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever and chills

Risk Factors

• Obesity
• Under hydration (not enough fluids in diet)
• Lack of calcium
• Too much salt in diet
• Too much sugar or high fructose corn syrup in diet
• Bariatric surgery
• Family history
• Exercise – too much or too little

“If you don’t drink enough water each day or you have a diet high in sugars and salt,” said Medco ER’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan, “you may increase your risk of kidney stones. If it runs in your family, your first line of defense is drinking plenty of water daily.”

Types of Stones

“Kidney stones are caused by high levels of certain minerals in the urine,” said Dr. Khan. “Normally, they wouldn’t be a problem, but at high levels they start to build up and cause calcification that turns into stones.”

• Calcium oxalate – most common kidney stones formed when you don’t get enough fluids or calcium³
• Uric acid – high levels of purine from some meats and shellfish can cause these kidney stones that often run in families³
• Struvite – less common, these are formed from upper urinary tract infections³
• Cystine – these kidney stones are caused by a rare condition that is passed down in families that can be treated but not cured³

Prevention

Drink plenty of water to keep the color of your urine light or clear. Limit sugar, high fructose corn syrup and salty foods. Eat more fruits and vegetables to lower the acidity of the urine. Lose weight if you are overweight, but avoid high protein diets. Consult a registered dietician for weight loss tips and to understand what foods bind with calcium to cause kidney stones.

Treatment

Treatments may include:¹

• Waiting to see if the stone passes on its own
• Shockwaves (lithotripsy) directed at the stone to break it up into tiny pieces
• Ureteroscopy of the ureter which uses a long tube to take out the stone or break it into smaller pieces with a laser
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy makes a small cut in the back and inserts a viewing tool to locate and remove the kidney stone directly from the kidney

Get Help Fast at Medco ER 

When an abdominal X-ray or CT scan, coupled with a urine or blood analysis, can quickly show the presence of kidney stones, you want to go to an ER that has everything available right when you need it. At Medco ER, we’re open 24/7 and have the imaging equipment and rapid results labs to identify and to begin to treat kidney stones.

Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)

Call us @ 469-747-0370

¹ https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneystones

²  https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kidney-stones/symptoms-causes  

³https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/other-kidney-problems/kidney-stones

Is it Appendicitis?

A sharp, piercing side pain is obviously appendicitis—or inflammation of the appendix—but what if your pain is more of a general throbbing, vague abdominal pain, or upset stomach? One of the greatest emergency room challenges is figuring out what is causing your abdominal pain. At Medco ER & Urgent Care of Plano, TX, we are experienced in pinpointing the source of your abdominal pain and finding the treatment that’s right for you.

“Appendicitis doesn’t always manifest in a simple way,” said Medco ER & Urgent Care’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan. “But our board-certified emergency medicine physicians are able to use our in-house diagnostic tools to find the root of the pain.”

Causes of Appendicitis

While the cause of appendicitis may not always be clear, here are some common reasons:¹

• Blockage of the opening of the appendix
• Enlarged wall tissue in the appendix caused by an infection in gastrointestinal system
• Disease such as inflammatory bowel disease
• Parasites
• Growths in the appendix
• Matter that clogs the appendix
• Abdominal trauma

Symptoms of Appendicitis

• Pain or discomfort in abdomen, often near the belly button
• Pain localized on lower right side
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal bloating
• Abdominal tenderness
• Loss of appetite
• Malaise
• Stiff abdomen

Diagnosis of Appendicitis

To diagnose your abdominal pain to determine if it is appendicitis, your physician will do a physical exam including checking for abdominal stiffness and the tendency to guard or react when pressed. A rectal or pelvic exam may be performed to locate the source of the pain. A blood test may show an elevated white blood cell count which may mean you have an infection. A urine test will eliminate a urinary tract infection or kidney stone that would be causing pain. Finally, an imaging exam, such as a CT scan, X-ray or ultrasound may be used in diagnosis.²

Treatment for Appendicitis

“There is really only one treatment for appendicitis – an appendectomy,” said Dr. Khan. “If the appendix hasn’t ruptured, it is a straightforward procedure that can be done as a minimally invasive surgery to remove the appendix. Recovery should be rapid and antibiotics may be prescribed to ward off infection. However, if the appendix ruptured, the surgery and recovery will be more extensive.”

Seek Immediate Medical Treatment

Appendicitis is a serious medical condition. If left untreated, sepsis may occur, which is life-threatening. If you are experiencing pain or have any of these symptoms, come to Medco ER & Urgent Care right away:

• Abdominal pain or back pain
• Intense pain on your right side
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever and chills

Get help fast at Medco ER & Urgent Care

With little-to-no wait time, you can get right into an exam room and be seen by a board-certified physician within minutes. At Medco ER & Urgent Care, we offer you top-quality care from physicians rather than PAs, CNPs or assistants. Our ER is equipped with the imaging and lab equipment needed to quickly diagnose and to treat your abdominal pain. Open 24/7 every day of the year, we’re here when you need us.

• Plano location:

3960 Legacy Drive, Plano TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)

            Call us @ 469-392-4000

¹ https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/appendicitis/symptoms-causes

² https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/appendicitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20369549