Kidney Stones: Warning Signs and Treatment

A kidney stone is a hard piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl.

Most kidney stones leave the body on their own, without a doctor's help. Sometimes, though, a stone does not pass. It can lodge in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause intense pain.

When to see a doctor

These can be signs of a kidney stone that needs medical help:

• severe pain in your back or side that does not go away;
• blood in your urine;
• fever and chills;
• vomiting;
• urine that smells bad or looks cloudy;
• a burning feeling when you urinate.

Diagnosis and treatment

A doctor diagnoses kidney stones with urine tests, blood tests and imaging. A stone that will not pass on its own may need treatment, which can be done:

• with shock waves;
• with a scope passed through the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body;
• with surgery.

Sources

• MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine): "Kidney Stones," with information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.