7 Kidney Stone Symptoms: Are You at Risk?

The main kidney stone symptoms happen to be pain in one’s back, abdomen, or side. A few other symptoms include cloudy urine, a burning sensation when the person urinates, and nausea.

Kidney stones are indeed the most common health condition associated with one’s urinary system. The stones are in the form of hard mineral fragments in one’s kidneys. They are small enough to exit via the body through one’s urine. But if they are too large, a person can require medical assistance to have them broken up or even removed.

Stones are more common in men. Kidney stones are also more common among those people with diabetes or obesity. Kidney stones can be caused by a genetic condition known as cystinuria.

Smaller kidney stones that do remain in the kidney often do not cause any symptoms. If the stone is small enough, it will continue from one’s bladder to the urethra and exit the body via urine. The smaller the stone, the more likely it is to pass on its own, and the more quickly the process will occur.

A doctor may advise drinking plenty of water to help with the cleansing process.  Kidney stones are very painful. Most stones do pass through on their own without any kind of treatment. Yet, procedures may be required to break up or even remove stones that do not pass.

Kidney stone symptoms

If having a very small kidney stone, a person may not have any symptoms as the stone does pass via one’s urinary tract.

1. Pain in the back, belly, or side

Kidney stone pain—also referred to as renal colic—is one of the most severe types of pain imaginable. Few people who have experienced kidney stones compare the pain to childbirth or even getting stabbed with a knife.

Kidney stone pain often starts suddenly. As the stone tends to move, the pain changes location and intensity.

Large stones can be more painful than small ones. Even a little stone can indeed be painful as it moves or causes a blockage.

2. Pain or burning during urination

Once the stone does reach the junction between one’s ureter and bladder, the person will start to feel pain when urinating. The doctor might call this dysuria.

The pain can be sharp or burning. If not knowing having a kidney stone, the person might mistake it for a UTI. Sometimes the person can have an infection along with the stone.

3. Urgent need to go

Needing to go to the bathroom more urgently or even frequently than usual happens to be another sign that the stone has moved into the lower part of one’s urinary tract.

You may find yourself running to the bathroom or needing to go constantly throughout the day and night.

Urinary urgency can also mimic even a UTI symptom.

4. Blood in the urine

Blood in the urine happens to be a common symptom in people with kidney stones. This symptom is also known as hematuria.

The blood can be red, pink, or even brown. The blood cells are too small to be seen without a microscope.

5. Cloudy or smelly urine

Healthy urine is clear and does not have a strong odor. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine can be a sign of an infection in one’s kidneys or another part of one’s urinary tract.

Cloudiness is a sign of pus in the urine, or pyuria. The smell can come from the bacteria that cause UTIs. An odor may also come from urine that is more concentrated than usual.

A UTI with a kidney stone is considered a surgical emergency, with or rather without a fever.

7 Kidney Stone Symptoms: Are You at Risk?

6. Going a small amount at a time

Large kidney stones sometimes do get stuck in a ureter. This leads to blockage and can slow or stop the flow of urine.

If having a blockage, the affected person may only urinate a little bit each time. Urine flow that stops entirely is a medical emergency.

7. Nausea and vomiting

This is common for people with kidney stones who suffer from nausea and vomiting.

Conclusion

Kidney stone symptoms enable the affected person to decide when to consult a doctor.