Kidney stones, pain and possible symptoms

There are a number of different symptoms when a person has kidney stones, and often these symptoms are troublesome.

Stones are hard mineral fragments that can form in your kidneys. Often, they are small enough that they can pass out of your body through urine. But if they're too big, you may need medical help to break them up or remove them, he writes HealthLine.

If you think you have kidney stones, seek medical attention immediately.

But what can be the symptoms of kidney stones?

Pain in the back, abdomen or on one side

Kidney stone pain – known as renal colic – is one of the worst types of pain imaginable. Some people who have experienced kidney stones compare the pain to childbirth or being stabbed.

Usually, the pain begins when a stone moves into the narrow ureter. This causes a blockage, which causes increased pressure in the kidneys. The pressure activates nerve fibers that transmit pain signals to the brain.

Kidney stone pain often starts suddenly. As the stone moves, the pain changes location and intensity.

The pain often comes and goes in waves, which is made worse by the contraction of the ureter as it tries to push the stone out. Each wave may last for several minutes, disappear, and then return again.

You will usually feel the pain along your side and back, below your ribs. It may radiate to your abdominal and groin area as the stone moves down through the urinary tract.

Large stones may be more painful than small ones, but the severity of the pain is not necessarily related to the size of the stone. Even a small stone can be painful as it moves or cause blockage.

Pain or burning during urination

Once the stone reaches the junction between the ureter and the bladder, you will begin to feel pain when urinating. Your doctor may call this dysuria.

The pain may feel sharp or burning. If you don't know you have kidney stones, you may mistake it for a urinary tract infection (UTI). Sometimes you can have an infection and a stone.

Urgent need to go to the bathroom

The need to go to the toilet more urgently or more often than usual is another sign that the stone has moved to the lower part of the urinary tract.

You may find yourself in a situation where you have to rush to the bathroom or you need to go constantly throughout the day and night.

Urinary urgency can also be a symptom of a urinary tract infection.

Blood in the urine

Blood in the urine is a common symptom in people with kidney stones. This symptom is also called hematuria.

The blood can be red, pink or brown. Sometimes the blood cells are too small to see without a microscope (called microscopic hematuria), but your doctor can test your urine to see if it contains blood.

Cloudy or smelly urine

Healthy urine is clear and has no strong odor. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine can be a sign of an infection in your kidneys or another part of the urinary tract.

Having cloudy urine is a sign of pus. Odor can come from bacteria that cause urinary tract infection. An odor can also come from urine that is more concentrated than usual.

A urinary tract infection with kidney stones is considered a surgical emergency – with or without fever.

Small amount of urine

Large kidney stones sometimes get stuck in a ureter. This blockage can slow or stop the flow of urine.

If you have a blockage, you may urinate only a little each time you go. The flow of urine that stops completely is a medical emergency.

Vomiting or nausea

It is common for people with kidney stones to experience nausea and vomiting.

These symptoms occur due to common nerve connections between the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract. Kidney stones can irritate nerves in the gastrointestinal tract, causing an upset stomach.

Nausea and vomiting can also be your body's way of responding to severe pain.

Fever and chills

Fever and chills are signs of an infection in your kidney or another part of the urinary tract. This can be a serious complication of a kidney stone. It can also be a sign of other serious problems besides kidney stones. Any fever with pain requires urgent medical attention. /Telegraph/