Kidney Stones Summary A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain. The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor’s help: Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away Blood in your urine Fever and chills Vomiting Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy A burning feeling when you urinate Your doctor will diagnose a kidney stone with urine, blood, and imaging tests. If you have a stone that won’t pass on its own, you may need treatment. It can be done with shock waves; with a scope inserted through the tube that carries urine out of the body, called the urethra; or with surgery. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Encyclopedia Abdominal CT scan Abdominal ultrasound Citric acid urine test Cystinuria Intravenous pyelogram Kidney stones – what to ask your doctor Percutaneous urinary procedures Percutaneous urinary procedures – discharge RBC urine test Uric acid – blood Uric acid – urine Urine – bloody Urine pH test Health Check Tools Abdominal Pain DSHI Systems Diagnosis and Tests Abdominal Pain, Short-Term American Academy of Family Physicians Abdominal Ultrasound Array Calcium Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) Array Renal Scintigraphy Radiological Society of North America Uric Acid Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Urography Array Specifics Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) Deficiency Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network Hyperoxaluria Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation Children Blood in the Urine (Hematuria) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Kidney Stones in Children National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse Kidney Stones in Children (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate Kidney Stones in Children and Teens American Academy of Pediatrics Ultrasound: Renal (Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Nephrolithiasis National Institutes of Health Living With Diet and Kidney Stones National Kidney Foundation Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Find an Expert Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse Find a Urologist Urology Care Foundation National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Kidney Foundation National Kidney Foundation Symptoms Do You Have Symptoms of a Kidney Stone? National Kidney Foundation Genetics Genetics Home Reference: cystinuria National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: hereditary xanthinuria National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: primary hyperoxaluria National Library of Medicine Prevention and Risk Factors Keep Your Kidneys Clear: Kicking Kidney Stones National Institutes of Health Statistics and Research Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Videos and Tutorials Kidney Stone Treatment with Lithotripsy OR-Live Array Kidney stones Kidney stones Kidney stones – lithotripsy – discharge Kidney stones – self-care Lithotripsy Ureteroscopy Start Here Kidney Stones Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Kidney Stones in Adults National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Kidney Stones: What You Need to Know National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases What I Need to Know about Kidney Stones National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Teenagers Kidney Stones (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Reference Desk Kidneys and How They Work National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Treatments and Therapies Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy National Kidney Foundation Shock Wave Lithotripsy National Kidney Foundation Ureteroscopy National Kidney Foundation Journal Articles Kidney Stones
