Symptoms of Kidney Stones: How Do You Know If You Have Them?

Do you feel pain coming from your kidneys? They might be kidney stones. Read on to find out what they are exactly, how they can be treated as well as what are some common sintomas ng kidney stones.

What Are Kidney Stones? 

Our kidneys are responsible for filtering the waste and toxins from our blood and fluids, helping expel them through our urine. This urine usually contains a lot of salts and minerals. When we have high levels of these salts and minerals, they can combine and form into kidney stones.

Usually, these stones are small enough to exit our bodies when we pee. Unfortunately, sometimes these stones become big enough that it becomes difficult to simply excrete them. These large kidney stones stay in our kidneys and ureter, which can cause pain or other complications if left unchecked.

Symptoms of  Kidney Stones

You might not even notice it if you have kidney stones or not. As stated above, most kidney stones are small enough that they can just pass through when we urinate. However, large kidney stones can be felt when they start moving around our kidneys and urethra. Here are some symptoms of kidney stones.

• Sudden sharp pain coming from the back and sides underneath the ribs
• Pain from the lower abdomen or around the groin area
• You can feel a burning sensation when you pee
• Pain that arrives in waves 
• Pain that fluctuates in severity
• Men may also feel pain at the tip of their penis when they pee

In some cases, some other symptoms may include:

• The frequent feeling or need to urinate
• Urinating more frequently
• Dark or dark-red colored urine; this is caused by blood. 
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Causes of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones may form due to a number of factors. Here are some of them:

• Low urine volume (usually due to dehydration)
• Diet
• Bowel conditions
• Obesity
• Other medical conditions
• Medication
• Family history

Kidney Stone Complications

If left unchecked, kidney stones can potentially block our ureters or cause them to narrow. This leads to an increased risk of infection. It also hampers the easy flow of urine and causes urine build-up, increasing the workload of our kidneys. Infections in the kidney can lead to fevers, chills, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the general area of the kidneys.

Treatment

As stated above, some symptoms can leave by themselves. These small stones may still be a source of pain, however.

If you are experiencing discomfort from kidney stones, your doctor might suggest these steps:

• Increased fluid intake
• Painkillers like ibuprofen
• Alpha-blockers (medication that helps the passing of stones)

If your kidney stones are too huge to simply exit your system, your doctor might recommend some kind of surgical procedure. Some of your options might include:

Shockwave Lithotripsy

This procedure makes use of ultrasound to shock the stones. This causes the stone to break apart into smaller pieces allowing them to exit your system easily.

Ureteroscopy

This procedure involves passing a long thin telescope through the tube your urine passes through. The surgeon may then remove the kidney stone with another instrument or use a laser to break the stone apart into smaller pieces.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Carried out under general anesthetic, this procedure involves a thin telescopic instrument called a nephroscope. The surgeon makes a small incision from your back and passes the nephroscope through it. The surgeon then directly removes the stone or breaks it apart into smaller pieces.

Key Takeaways

In summary, kidney stones can be a huge cause of discomfort in our day-to-day lives. Take key steps to prevent it and once you notice them, consult your doctor to immediately resolve them before more complications show up.

Key-takeaways

Learn more about Kidney Disease here.