Kidney stones are small mineral deposits that form in your kidneys. These hard stones can be very painful when passed. They are a common condition of the urinary tract, affecting about 1 in 10 people in the US. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about kidney stones including symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.
Symptoms
You may have kidney stones and not know it until the stone starts passing down your urinary tract. When passing begins, so will your symptoms. This is called a kidney stone attack—due to the abrupt nature of symptoms and how severe they can sometimes be.
Symptoms include:
- Sharp pain in your back or lower abdomen that comes and goes in waves
- Pain with urinating
- Pink, red, or brown urine
- Foul smelling or cloudy urine
- Increased frequency in urinating
- Urinating in small amounts
Although kidney stones can be passed at home, some symptoms are recognized as a medical emergency. If any of the following occur, go to the hospital immediately:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills
- Severe pain to the point where you can’t sit still or comfortably
- Blood in urine
- Difficulty urinating
Causes
Kidney stones form when minerals in your urine—calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus—increase in concentration.
Not getting enough water is also a big factor in the formation of kidney stones. If you’re not drinking enough water, the uric acid in your urine can’t be diluted. Uric acid causes the pH level in your kidneys to decrease and become more acidic.
Risk Factors
The following increases your risk of kidney stones:
- A family/personal history of kidney stones
- Dehydration
- Obesity
- A diet high in sodium, sugar, and protein
- Bypass surgery
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Chronic diarrhea
- Gout
- Renal tubular acidosis
- Cystinuria
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Urinary tract infections
Diagnosis
Diagnosing kidney stones includes a physical exam and a medical history by your doctor. Next, your doctor will order tests that evaluate your urine and blood. Imaging tests such as an abdominal X-Ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan may be done as well. Imagining tests can show the location of the stone.
Treatment
For smaller stones, you should drink a lot of water to help flush the stone out. Medication is also usually provided, such as pain relievers and an alpha blocker—which is a type of medication that relaxes the muscles in your ureter—that allow the kidney stone to pass more quickly and with less pain.
Larger stones that cause complications require a procedure. These include:
- Extracorporeal shock waves lithotripsy (ESWL), which uses sound waves to break the stone into tiny pieces that can be passed.
- Surgery, which is usually done to remove the stone if ESWL doesn’t work.
- Ureteroscopy, which removes a stone by passing a thin, lighted tube through your urethra and bladder to your ureter. After locating the stone, tools are used to break it up into fragmented pieces so that it can pass. A stent is then placed in your ureter to reduce swelling and promote healing.