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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 Medical Encyclopedia
- Abdominal ultrasound Medical Encyclopedia
- Citric acid urine test Medical Encyclopedia
- Cystinuria Medical Encyclopedia
- Intravenous pyelogram Medical Encyclopedia
- Kidney stones Medical Encyclopedia
- Kidney stones – what to ask your doctor Medical Encyclopedia
- Percutaneous urinary procedures Medical Encyclopedia
- Percutaneous urinary procedures – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- RBC urine test Medical Encyclopedia
- Uric acid – blood Medical Encyclopedia
- Uric acid urine test Medical Encyclopedia
- Urine – bloody Medical Encyclopedia
- Urine pH test Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-Term American Academy of Family Physicians
- Crystals in Urine National Library of Medicine
- Kidney Stone Analysis National Library of Medicine
- Kidney Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
- Phosphate in Urine National Library of Medicine
- Uric Acid Test National Library of Medicine
- Urography Radiological Society of North America
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 and Teens American Academy of Pediatrics
- Ultrasound: Renal (Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Nephrolithiasis National Institutes of Health
Genetics
- Cystinuria: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hereditary xanthinuria: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Kidney stones: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Primary hyperoxaluria: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Start Here
- Definition and Facts for Kidney Stones National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Kidney Stones National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Kidney Stones National Kidney Foundation
- Pebbles in Your Plumbing: Flushing Kidney Stones National Institutes of Health
Living With
- Diet and Kidney Stones National Kidney Foundation
- Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Kidney Stones National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Statistics and Research
- Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Patient Handouts
- Kidney stones Medical Encyclopedia
- Kidney stones – lithotripsy – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Kidney stones – self-care Medical Encyclopedia
- Lithotripsy Medical Encyclopedia
- Ureteroscopy Medical Encyclopedia
Teenagers
- Kidney Stones (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Reference Desk
- Kidneys and Urinary Tract (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Your Kidneys and How They Work National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- Lithotripsy National Kidney Foundation
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy National Kidney Foundation
- Ureteroscopy National Kidney Foundation
Find an Expert
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- National Kidney Foundation National Kidney Foundation
Journal Articles
Specifics
- Understanding Hyperoxaluria Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation