Kidney stones form in your kidneys. As stones move into your ureters — the thin tubes that allow urine to pass from your kidneys to your bladder — signs and symptoms can result.
A large stone may get stuck in the urinary system. This can block the flow of urine and may cause strong pain. Kidney stones can cause permanent kidney damage. Stones also increase the risk of urinary and kidney infection, which can result in germs spreading into the bloodstream.
The sharp pain associated with a kidney stone moves as the stone progresses through your urinary tract. The most common places to feel pain are in your: Lower abdomen or groin. Along one side of your body, below your ribs.
Kidney stones can develop in 1 or both kidneys and most often affect people aged 30 to 60. They're quite common, with more than 1 in 10 people affected. Kidney stones are usually found in the kidneys or in the ureter, the tube that connects the kidneys to your bladder.
Possible causes include drinking too little water, exercise (too much or too little), obesity, weight loss surgery, or eating food with too much salt or sugar. Infections and family history might be important in some people.
Kidney stones are sometimes considered "the great mimicker" because their signs and symptoms are very similar to appendicitis, ovarian or testicular conditions, gastritis, and urinary tract infections.
Pain that doesn't go away, when you move
If it's a backache, a change of position may momentarily alleviate the pain. With kidney stones, the pain won't disappear when you move, and some positions may even make it worse.
It is important to be mindful of the following foods that can lead to the formation of kidney stones in certain people: foods high in sodium, cola beverages, fast foods, processed meats, certain supplements, black tea, chocolate, spinach, soy milk, almonds, cashews, soy beans.
Left untreated, kidney stones can block the ureters or make them narrower. This increases the risk of infection, or urine may build up and put added strain on the kidneys. These problems are rare because most kidney stones are treated before they can cause complications.
Avoid processed and fast foods, canned soups and vegetables, and lunch meats. Look for foods labeled: sodium free, salt free, very low sodium, low sodium, reduced or less sodium, light in sodium, no salt added, unsalted, and lightly salted.
Urine tests can show whether your urine contains high levels of minerals that form kidney stones. Urine and blood tests can also help a health care professional find out what type of kidney stones you have.
Another common symptom of kidney stones is blood in the urine. This can make your urine discolored red, pink, or even brown.
Normally, your bile contains enough chemicals to dissolve the cholesterol excreted by your liver. But if your liver excretes more cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, the excess cholesterol may form into crystals and eventually into stones.
Some of the most common kidney pain symptoms include: A constant, dull ache in your back. Pain in your sides, under your rib cage or in your abdomen. Severe or sharp pain that comes in waves.
How are Kidney Stones Diagnosed? Diagnosing a kidney stone requires a physical exam and a medical history to be taken by a physician. Typically a urinalysis (testing of a urine sample), an abdominal x-ray, a computerized tomography (CT) scan, or an ultrasound will be done to complete the diagnosis.
Both CT and ultrasound find most kidney stones.
Whether you have an ultrasound or a CT scan first: Does not affect the amount of pain you have or how quickly your pain will go away.
urinary stones – these may cause an ammonia-like odour (read about bladder stones and kidney stones)
Typical symptoms of bladder stones include: lower abdominal pain, which can often be severe (men may also have pain in or around their penis) pain or difficulty when peeing. peeing more frequently (particularly at night)
Can stress cause kidney stones? Especially when combined with chronic dehydration, stress can trigger the formation of kidney stones. Stress overall can affect your kidneys. Stress can result in high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which can both affect the health of your heart and the kidneys.
Where do I feel kidney pain? You feel kidney pain in the area where your kidneys are located: Near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make urine (i.e., pee) and remove it from your body.
When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys. The main symptom is severe pain that starts and stops suddenly: Pain may be felt in the belly area or side of the back. Pain may move to the groin area (groin pain), testicles (testicle pain) in men, and labia (vaginal pain) in women.