Kidney stones are small stones made of minerals in the urine that stick together. They can cause severe pain as they travel through the ureters (tubes that connect the kidneys and the bladder) to exit the body when you urinate.
Your doctor may give you medicine to ease the pain until you pass the stone. If the stone is too large or gets stuck, other treatment is needed.
Small stones leave the kidney as the urine carries them out of the body. If stones stay in the kidney, they may grow larger. They can become stuck in the ureters, the tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. This causes pain. Some larger stones need medical treatment.
Kidney stones are made of salts and minerals in the urine that stick together to form small "pebbles." They are usually painless while they remain in the kidney. But they can cause severe pain when small pieces leave the kidney and travel through the narrow tubes (ureters) to the bladder.
Symptoms of a kidney stone include severe pain in the flank, which is felt just below the rib cage and above the waist, usually on only one side of the back. The pain may spread to the lower abdomen, groin, and genital area. Other symptoms include blood in the urine (hematuria), painful or frequent urination (dysuria), and nausea and vomiting.
The four main types of kidney stones are:
Most kidney stones are made of calcium compounds. Conditions that cause high calcium levels in the body, such as hyperparathyroidism, increase the risk of calcium stones.
Some kidney stones are made of uric acid, a waste product in urine. You're more likely to have uric acid stones if you have:
Some kidney stones are struvite stones. These can be serious, because they are often large stones and may occur with an infection.
Stones made of a chemical called cystine are less common. They're more likely to occur in people who have a condition that results in too much cystine in the urine (cystinuria).
For most stones, your doctor will recommend home care, such as pain medicine and drinking plenty of water. You may get a medicine to help the stone pass. If it is too large to pass, you may need other treatment, such as one that uses shock waves to break the stone into small pieces.
You can help prevent kidney stones by drinking plenty of water. Try to drink about 8 to 10 glasses a day. Eating less of certain foods may also help. Your doctor may give you medicine that helps prevent stones from forming.
Kidney stones may be diagnosed when you see your doctor or go to an emergency room with pain in your belly or side. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you.
Your doctor may do tests to help diagnose kidney stones and see where they're located. Tests include:
Drinking more fluids and taking pain medicine are often the only things you need to do when you pass a kidney stone. Drink enough water. Over-the-counter pain medicine, like aspirin and ibuprofen, may help relieve your pain.
Several things can affect your risk for getting kidney stones. These include:
Your age, gender, and whether you have a family history of kidney stones can also affect your risk. But these things are out of your control.
Kidney stones form when a change occurs in the normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other things in urine. The most common cause is not drinking enough water. Some people are more likely to get kidney stones because of a medical condition, such as gout. They may also be an inherited disease.
Kidney stones are small "pebbles" that form in your kidneys. They're made of salts and minerals in the urine. They may stay in your kidneys or exit your body through the urinary tract. A stone traveling through a ureter—a tube that connects the kidney to the bladder—usually causes pain and other symptoms.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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