How to Recognize the Symptoms of a Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are formed when salts crystallize in the kidney. If the crystals remain tiny, they will pass through the urinary tract with no difficulty. Larger kidney stones are likely to cause pain and require medical intervention. Scientists believe that people will develop more kidney stones as the climate warms. There could be as many as 1.6 million additional cases buy the year 2050, causing the cost of treating kidney stones to increase by 25 percent to $900 million annually.

Instructions

1. Recognize that the first symptom of a kidney stone usually is extreme pain in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen. Eventually, the pain may spread to the groin. The pain tends to be intense and comes suddenly. The pain may fluctuate in intensity with periods of pain lasting as long as 60 minutes. The pain of a kidney stone is often compared to the pain of natural childbirth.

2. Sweating, nausea and vomiting are common when a person is experiencing the pain of a kidney stone.

3. If the stone has irritated the ureter, there may be blood visible in the urine. There may, however, be other reasons for blood in the urine. Kidney infection, bladder infection, tumor or trauma can also cause blood in the urine.

4. Frequent and painful urination may occur when the stone is in the ureter or after the stone has left the bladder and is in the urethra. However, frequent urination can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection.

5. Kidney stones that don't cause any symptoms may show up in an X-ray.

6. Most kidney stones pass through the urinary system as the patient drinks a lot of water. Other medical treatment includes surgery, shock wave treatment, medication and lifestyle changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Kidney stones are more common in men than women.

• A person with a family history of kidney stones may be more likely to develop stones.

• Seek medical attention if you suspect you may have a kidney stone.