Kidney stone disease, often simply referred to as kidney stones or renal calculi, is caused by hard, stone-like formations in your kidneys. Kidney stone disease happens when salt and other minerals accumulate in your kidneys and crystallize into a hard, rock-like formation. In most cases, kidney stones are no larger than a grain of sand or chickpea and exit through the body naturally through urine. In rare cases, however, kidney stones can be much larger and require surgery.
Kidney stones are extremely painful and uncomfortable. They cause stomach aches that have been described as the closest thing a person can experience to giving birth. While most cases of kidney stone disease resolve on their own, they can cause serious issues if left untreated and can’t exit the body naturally. In those cases, it’s important to seek medical attention to have the kidney stone or stones surgically removed.
The main symptom that people experience with kidney stones is an excruciating stomach-ache. However, because of how small most kidney stones are, you typically won’t start showing symptoms until the stones start moving through your kidneys and urinary system. You will also start showing symptoms if you have a fairly large kidney stone. When that happens, here are the most common symptoms of kidney stone disease.
The longer you have your kidney stone and the more obstructive it is, the more painful it will be. If you notice that you can’t urinate, it means that the kidney stone has blocked your urethra. If you notice blood in your urine, it means that the stone has cut one of your ureters, resulting in bleeding. At these points, you’ll need surgery to remove the stones.
Kidney stone disease happens when salt, calcium, and other mineral deposits in your kidneys harden and crystallize. Although it’s not fully known what causes this to happen, there are a few known risk factors that increase your chances of developing kidney stone disease.
In most cases, kidney stone disease is fairly easy to diagnose. Kidney stones cause very specific symptoms, so that’s the first thing your doctor will look at. If they suspect kidney stone disease, they may order additional tests, including the following.
Blood tests to check the mineral content in your blood.
A urine test to see if your urine contains minerals that can cause kidney stones.
Imaging tests, such as an X-ray or MRI, to check for visible kidney stones.
The good news is that kidney stone disease is very treatable and typically doesn’t cause lingering effects. In most cases, your doctor will advise you to drink lots of water, take medication for the pain, and pee into a strainer. The more you pee, the more likely your kidney stone is to pass through your system. They may ask you to pee into a container so that they can test your kidney stone when it passes.
In cases when the kidney stone is too large to exit your body in your urine, you will need surgery to remove the stone or to break it down into smaller, manageable bits.