Signs of Kidney Stones

What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones, although small, can cause a lot of pain and damage. Formed from mineral deposits inside your kidneys, these stones can affect your urinary tract as they pass. When urine is concentrated, the hard minerals and acid salts from your kidneys may stick together. When this happens, you have kidney stones.

While they originate in your kidneys, they can be anywhere along your urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder. They are the most common type of urinary tract disorder, but are often small enough that they pass unnoticed. Problems and pains start surfacing when these masses become too large and block urine or cause other complications.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

As stated, some kidney stones may be practically undetectable because they’re so small. However, sometimes kidney stones can be larger in size and cause pain as they move around your kidneys and through your ureter—the tube connecting your kidneys and bladder. If you start feeling intense abdominal pain and suspect it may be due to kidney stones, check out these symptoms:

Painful urination

Feeling like you always have to urinate

Nausea or vomiting

Fever and chills

Cloudy urine

Pink, red or brown urine

Bad-smelling urine

Pain in lower abdomen

Pain in groin

Pain that changes in intensity

The pain from passing kidney stones changes as the stones move along the ureter. You may notice lower abdominal / groin pain changing in intensity as time passes or as you re-position your body.

Often times, kidney stones won't require medical care or treatment. You simply have to  "let them pass." You should seek medical care from your nearest Urgency Room, though, if the pain is so severe you can't sit still, you get feverish, you have the chills, you start vomiting or if there is blood in your urine. 

If you notice any of these symptoms get to The Urgency Room. We can diagnose your kidney stones and get you on the path to recovery!