Kidney stones are a chronic, common, and even life-threatening disease. It is a major urinary tract disorder with stones caused by an abnormal density of urine.
The stones may go unobserved until they move inside the kidney or into the ureter. These stones are small deposits of calcium that can cause excruciating pain. However, the chances of kidney stone symptoms in women are lesser than in men.
They can be as tiny as a grain or as large as a golf ball. The tendency of passing smaller ones is easier and asymptomatic. While larger stones can’t pass out automatically. They may need medical intervention.
Here we have mentioned five signs of kidney stones that you might be neglecting.
1. Sharp & Shooting Pain
The other name for kidney stones is harsh pain. It has been discovered as the most painful disease. Its pain starts when a stone moves into the narrow ureter is usually the first sign of kidney stones. This causes a blockage, which may lead to pressure building up in the kidney.
You may experience pain:
- Below your ribs, on your side or back
- In your lower abdomen
- In your testicles or groin
The pain may shift to various areas of your body. This indicates that the stone is passing from your kidney to your bladder via the ureter. During urination, it may affect more.
Large stones can be more torturous than small ones, but the intensity of the pain does not always correlate with stone size. Even a small stone can cause pain when it moves or causes a clog.
2. Nausea or Vomiting
Since kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract share numerous common nerves, kidney stones can lead to vomiting and nausea. Extreme pain can also cause nausea, so patients should seek immediate medical attention if their symptoms are severe.
Other complications associated with this condition include dehydration, nutritional deficiency, and so on.
3. Foul-Smelling Urine
Urine can also change in other ways. Kidney stones form when concentrated minerals in your urine crystallize. Concentrated urine is darker, cloudier, and stinkier, just like dehydrated urine.
The strong odor is frequently compared to ammonia, but it’s more probable that the odor is caused by a urinary tract infection rather than a kidney stone.
4. Fever & Chills
Fever and chills are symptoms of a kidney infection or another infection in the urinary tract. This is a possibly tragic complication of a kidney stone. Aside from kidney stones, it could also be an indication of other major problems. Any fever accompanied by pain requires immediate medical attention.
5. Blood in Urine
In addition to pain, patients with kidney stones may have visible signs of blood in their urine. Urine color can range from brown to pink to mildly red with blood spots. As kidney stones grow in size, they interrupt the urethra, ticking blood alongside urine. Hematuria is the proper medical term for such a condition.
The Bottom-line
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should consult your doctor as quickly as possible. These are extremely serious symptoms that should not be ignored at any cost.
The treatment plan for the stone is ascertained by your urologist based on the nature and size of the stone, where it has expanded, and the intensity of your symptoms.
In the case of smaller stones, the doctor suggests medication for 4–6 weeks for the stone to pass on its own in the urine. Usually, diet can also help in symptoms of passing a kidney stone.
If your stone does not pass or becomes too large, urologists may perform surgeries to cure kidney stones such as Shock Wave Lithotripsy, Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy, and Ureteroscopy.
