Kidney stones may stay in the kidney and cause no symptoms at all. Patients become aware of kidney stones as they travel from the kidneys through the urinary tract. Sudden and severe pain is often a patient’s first sign of kidney stones. Kidney stone pain may occur in the side, the belly, or the back and can travel down to the groin area and hit in waves of intense pain. Other symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Painful urination or urge to constantly urinate
- Pink, red or brown urine
- Cloudy or bad-smelling urine
Kidney stone symptoms can also include fever and chills if a kidney infection has occurred.
Diagnosing kidney stones is done with simple blood tests, urine tests, and imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds or even dye injected tests that can show the kidney stone in the urinary tract. Some patients are able to save a passed kidney stone and a lab analysis can identify the composition of the stone so our doctors can develop a treatment plan to minimize future stones from developing.
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