Do I Have Kidney Stones?

1-in-10 people will develop a kidney stone in their lifetime. Kidney stones are hard, pebble-like pieces of material that form in one or both of your kidneys.

Kidney stones are hard, pebble-like pieces of material that form in one or both of your kidneys when elevated levels of minerals are in your urine. There are four main types of stones that can form - calcium oxalate, uric acid, struvite, cystine.

Symptoms

The symptoms of kidney stones are not ones that can be overlooked easily. The main symptoms are painful and include:

• Sharp pain in your back, side, lower abdomen, or groin
• Pink, red, or brown blood in your urine – also called hematuria
• A constant need to urinate
• Pain while urinating
• Inability to urinate or can only urinate in small amounts
• Cloudy or bad-smelling urine

Other, less common symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Chills

Kidney stones rarely cause permanent damage when professionals treat them. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important that you see a Urologist to get treatment as soon as possible.

Preventing Kidney Stones

1-in-10 people will develop kidney stones in their lifetime. Kidney stones are more likely to develop in men than women. Though you are likely to experience kidney stones at some point, there are some preventative measures you could take, including:

• Drinking plenty of water and staying well hydrated, especially when engaging in exercise or activities that cause sweating.
• Eating and drinking calcium and oxalate rich foods together, such as berries, grapes, carrots, spinach, almonds, milk, and yogurt. Oxalate and calcium are more likely to bind to one another in the stomach/intestines before reaching the kidneys, making it less likely for kidney stones to form.
• Listen to your Urologist, and other urinary specialists. Without the right medications and diet adjustments, kidney stones have an increased chance of coming back or causing permanent damage to your urinary tract.

Sources: Dr. Yemi Akin-Olugbade, National Kidney Foundation