A kidney stone, as its suggests, is a hard deposit of minerals and salts that forms inside the kidneys. It is also known as renal calculus, nephrolithiasis, or urolithiasis.
Kidney stones can be caused by diet, obesity, health conditions, and certain supplements and medications. Any part of urinary tract can be affected by kidney stones, including your kidneys and bladder. Concentrated urine causes minerals to crystallize and stick together, resulting in stones.
Although passing kidney stones can be quite painful, they usually don’t cause permanent damage if caught early. In some cases, passing a kidney stone may only require taking pain medication and drinking water. Surgical intervention may be needed if stones lodge in the urinary tract, cause infections or complications in the urinary system.
If you have an increased risk of recurrent kidney stones, your doctor may recommend preventive treatment.
1Top 10 Symptoms of Kidney Stones
Most kidney stones are small in size and harmless – so do not cause symptoms. You may develop symptoms when they pass into one of the ureters or move around within the kidney. Kidneys and bladders are connected by the ureters.
A kidney stone may lodge in the ureters and cause the kidneys to swell and the ureters to spasm, causing severe pain. You may experience the following symptoms at that point:
Pain in the back, belly, or side
One of the most disturbing and painful conditions in the body is kidney stone pain, also known as renal colic. It can feel like childbirth or being stabbed with a knife for people who’ve experienced kidney stones. Usually, it begins when the stone moves into the narrow ureter. A blockage in the kidney causes pressure to build up. A pressure stimulus activates nerve fibers in the brain that transmit pain signals.
