Kidney Stone Symptoms

In addition to kidney stone symptoms, we educate you on the definition of a kidney stone, causes, prevention and treatment options.

What are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones or renal calculi form when substances in the urine, such as calcium oxalate, become concentrated and combined into hard, solid lumps in the kidney. When urine is being produced, both of the kidneys control the fluid and electrolyte level in the body and filter out any waste in the blood. Thereon the urine collects into a portion of the kidney known as renal pelvis and from there it goes to the bladder, through a narrow tube called the ureter. 80 percent of all renal calculi are composed of calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate stones.

The second most common stone is composed of uric acid. Kidney stones can form in the renal pelvis if undue amounts of calcium are absorbed from the intestine or released from bone, or if the urine becomes too concentrated, or if a bacterial infection changes the pH level of the urine.

The stones go into the bladder via the ureter before being discharged from the body as a person urinates. Some stones are so tiny that they never cause any symptoms and painlessly pass out on their own.

Large stones may never leave the kidney and they get detected when an abdominal x-ray is done for any other reason. A stone may enter the ureter and cause severe pain intermittently until it reaches the bladder. This process can take from a few hours to a many days to happen. The pain of a single attack is felt on one side of the body. However, these stones have a tendency to recur, possibly in the other kidney in which case the pain will be on the other side respectively. The kidney stone symptoms halt once the stone has passed.

There is high possibility for recurrence. The treatment is targeted toward alleviating kidney stone symptoms, removing or dissolving the stone and preventing recurrences. Kidney stones are widespread especially among young and middle aged adults. Men are affected more often that women. 

Kidney Stone Symptoms

Kidney Stone symptoms may include:

Uric acid stones can be caused by high blood uric levels, which can come as the symptoms of gout.
Persistent, mild dehydration can concentrate the urine, leading to kidney stones.
Hereditary factors can be the reason behind the formation of stones .
The cause of kidney stones is unknown in some cases.

Cause of Kidney Stones

Causes of kidney stones include:

The most noted cause of kidney stones is the inexplicably disproportionate absorption of calcium from the intestine, which results in an increase in the calcium content of the urine (hypercalciuria).
Hypercalciuria and kidney stones can result from high blood calcium levels due to vitamin D intoxication or hyperparathyroidism.
If urinary tract infections recur many times, they might create a chemical environment favorable to the formation of kidney stones.
Crohn's disease, Irritable bowel disease or a diet high in oxalic acid (found in leafy vegetables, spinach, rhubarb, and coffee) can elevate the excretion of oxalate in the urine.
Uric acid stones can be caused by high blood uric levels, which can come as the symptoms of gout
Persistent, mild dehydration can concentrate the urine, leading to kidney stones.
Hereditary factors can be the reason behind the formation of stones
The cause of kidney stones is unknown in some cases.

Kidney Stone Prevention | Kidney Stone Symptoms

Drink as much as eight glasses of water everyday coupled with a well-balanced diet.
In order to prevent recurrences, dietary changes will be advised. Changes such as avoiding foods containing oxalic acid and calcium will be advised on the basis of the kidney stone involved.
Medication such as thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, sodium or potassium citrate, phosphate-based compounds, or large doses of magnesium or calcium, may be given to help stop recurrence of stones. Again the medication will depend on the exact composition of kidney stones. Efforts will be made to decrease the acidity of the urine in those with uric acid stones and increase the acidity of the urine in people with calcium stones.

Diagnosis of Kidney Stones

Physical examination and patient’s history.
Uric acid and calcium levels are measured by taking blood samples.
Urine examination and urine culture for crystals and cells.
When a stone recurs, your doctor may ask you to collect urine over a day so that the amounts of uric acid and calcium excreted can be measured.
X-raying the abdomen after administering iodine based die in the kidneys.
Laboratory analysis of the chemical substances present in a stone passed out.

How To Treat Kidney Stones

Treatment of kidney stones may include:

To help a small stone to pass, you must drink three liters of water everyday so that it is flushed into the bladder. Urinate through a gauze so that any stone passed out can be captured and later analyzed.
Over-the-counter pain killers should be taken.
The bacterial infection related to kidney stones can be treated with antibiotics.
In sever cases, the patient is hospitalized and given narcotic painkillers to alleviate pain.
In order to ease the passing of stone by relaxing the ureter, antispasmodic drugs may be given
Large stones can be crushed in the kidney by a treatment known as extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. Burst of sound waves are aimed at the stone, which disintegrates into tiny pieces. The pieces then pass into the bladder and then get excreted.
The stone can be removed by carrying out abdominal surgery.
When the stone has resulted from hyperparathyroidism, surgery will be needed to remove the overactive parathyroid gland
If all other types of treatments fail, the last resort will be to remove the kidney affected. The remaining kidney, if healthy, can compensate for both.

Kidney Stone Symptoms | When to See your Doctor

Call a doctor if you experience the symptoms of kidney stones.

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