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Emergency Care · Beaumont, TX · Open 24/7
Kidney stone pain often starts suddenly in the side or back, comes in waves and can be strong enough to make you vomit. Many stones pass on their own, but pain you cannot control, fever with flank pain, or not being able to pee are reasons to be seen now. Eastex Emergency Room on Eastex Freeway in Beaumont is open around the clock for adults and children.
A stone that blocks urine flow while an infection is present can become serious quickly. These signs need same-day emergency evaluation.
Call 911 if the person is confused, hard to wake, fainting, or has trouble breathing. Do not drive yourself if pain or vomiting makes it unsafe.
Symptoms
Stones usually cause no symptoms while they sit in the kidney. Pain tends to start when a stone moves into the ureter, the narrow tube between the kidney and the bladder.
Possible Causes
Side and back pain is not always a stone. Part of an emergency evaluation is checking for problems that can look similar.
Crystals in the urine clump into a hard stone. Dehydration, diet, family history and some medical conditions raise the risk.
An infection that travels up from the bladder can cause flank pain, fever and vomiting, with or without a stone.
Appendicitis, gallbladder problems, ovarian problems and, rarely, a problem with the aorta can cause pain in the same area.
Your Evaluation
The goal is to control your pain, find out whether a stone is present and whether it is blocking the kidney, and check for infection.
Blood and urine tests run on site.
Cross-sectional imaging when the exam calls for it.
Imaging without radiation for many abdominal and soft-tissue questions.
Fluids and medicines through an IV when you need them.
The tests above are the diagnostic services Eastex ER lists on its own service pages. Not every patient needs every test. The emergency physician decides what to order based on your history and exam, and a normal result does not rule out every cause. Always follow your discharge instructions and the follow-up plan you are given.
Eastex ER is a freestanding emergency room. It does not have inpatient beds or a urology operating room. If testing shows a stone that is blocking the kidney and infected, a stone that is very unlikely to pass, kidney injury, or pain that cannot be controlled, the team will arrange care at a hospital, including transfer when needed.
If you have been seen and told the stone is likely to pass, your doctor will usually suggest drinking enough fluid to keep your urine pale, using pain medicine exactly as prescribed, and straining your urine so you can catch the stone. Some people are given a medicine that relaxes the ureter. Keep your follow-up appointment even if the pain stops, because a stone can stop moving without causing pain and still block the kidney.
About half of people who have one stone will have another within years. A lab test of the stone, blood tests and sometimes a 24-hour urine test help your doctor tailor advice. Common suggestions include drinking more water through the day and adjusting salt and some foods, but the right plan depends on the type of stone, so ask before making big diet changes.
Stones are more urgent in people who are pregnant, have only one kidney or a kidney transplant, have chronic kidney disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system. In children, flank pain, blood in the urine or pain with peeing should be checked by a doctor.
Planning Your Visit
Walk-ins are welcome at any hour. If you can, bring a list of your medicines, any stone you have already passed, and the results of past kidney imaging.
5550 Eastex Fwy, Suite C, Beaumont, TX 77708. Open 24 hours, every day. Call 409-800-1100.
Photo ID, insurance card and a list of your medicines and allergies, if you can grab them safely.
See which plans we work with and what to expect as a freestanding emergency room.
How emergency visits are billed, and who to contact with questions about a bill.
FAQs
Short answers to questions people ask before they come in.
If symptoms are severe or getting worse, call 911. For questions about coming in, call Eastex ER any time.
409-800-1100Mild pain that you can manage, with no fever and normal peeing, can often be checked by your doctor or an urgent care clinic. Severe pain, vomiting, fever, little or no urine, pregnancy, or a single kidney are reasons to use an emergency room, because imaging, IV medicine and fast lab work may be needed.
Many small stones pass in the urine over days to weeks. Larger stones are less likely to pass. A clinician can estimate this from imaging and will tell you what to watch for while you wait.
A stone can trap infected urine behind it. That can lead to a serious kidney infection or a bloodstream infection, which needs treatment quickly and sometimes a procedure to drain the kidney.
Not always. The physician weighs your age, history, past stones and pregnancy status. Ultrasound may be used instead in some cases, such as pregnancy or in children.
Keep it and bring it to your follow-up visit. A lab can test what it is made of, which helps your doctor suggest ways to lower the chance of another stone.
Keep Reading
More from Eastex ER on deciding where to go and what to expect. Browse every guide in our health resources library.
Eastex Emergency Room is open 24/7 at 5550 Eastex Fwy, Suite C, Beaumont, TX 77708. Walk in or call 409-800-1100. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
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This page is general education and does not replace an exam by a clinician. If you think you are having a life-threatening emergency, call 911.