10 Signs of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are small stones that usually form in one or both kidneys due to the crystallization of certain salts. The majority of kidney stones are made of calcium salts that accumulate in the kidney. This condition is also known as renal calculi or nephrolithiasis and affects roughly 2 million people in the US each year. This condition is fairly common and it is seen more frequently in males.1Chirag N Dave, M. (2020, February 28). Nephrolithiasis https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/437096-overview
Scientific data suggests that the most important factor leading to kidney stones is having concentrated urine. Insufficient water intake is going to cause the concentration of calculi-forming salts in the kidneys, leading to nephrolithiasis. Certain drugs, particularly antibiotics and protease inhibitors used in the treatment of conditions like HIV, are known to cause kidney stones as well. A certain hereditary factor is also believed to play a role in the disease process.
Depending on the size and location of the kidney stones, they can cause different signs and symptoms. Usually, kidney stones cause no symptoms if they are small enough to be able to leave the body through the urine. Most of the symptoms associated with this condition are due to stones that become trapped in some portion of the urinary tract (usually the ureters, which are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder).
1. Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is a non-specific symptom associated with many conditions. The location and characteristics of the pain can help to distinguish between different pathologies and it can be very useful information to the clinicians in order to provide an accurate diagnosis.
When a kidney stone becomes trapped in the urinary tract it can cause a great amount of pain. The stones usually get trapped in the ureters, which are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. Once a stone becomes trapped, the ureter is going to spasm causing the classic renal colic. Renal colic is characterized by sharp and sudden pain in the affected side of the abdomen. Usually, the pain comes and goes as the ureter spasms repeatedly. This pain is known to be quite severe and may last a few hours until it starts to calm down.
