The main symptoms of kidney stones are:
- Fever;
- Pain in the lower back;
- Pain when urinating;
- Pain that can radiate from the back to the groin;
- Bad-smelling urine, pink, red or brown;
- Frequent urge to urinate;
- Nausea or vomiting.
The presence of kidney stones does not always cause symptoms, and can be discovered during routine examinations, such as an x-ray or abdominal ultrasound. Kidney stones generally cause symptoms when they reach the ureters or when they obstruct the transition region between the kidneys and ureters.
Generally, a stone smaller than 5 to 7 mm in diameter is usually eliminated spontaneously through urine, however, in some cases, or in larger stones, surgical procedures guided by a urologist may be necessary. Find out how kidney stones are treated.
Online symptom test
To find out your risk of having kidney stones, select the symptoms presented in the following test:
How to confirm the diagnosis
To confirm the diagnosis of kidney stones, it is recommended to consult a nephrologist or urologist, who will evaluate the symptoms presented and order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound of the kidneys and/or a computed tomography of the abdomen.
Furthermore, during a renal colic crisis, the doctor may also request tests such as urine analysis and kidney function measurement, to detect other changes, such as any impairment to kidney function or the presence of infection, for example. Find out more about tests to confirm kidney stones.
Types of kidney stones
There are several types of kidney stones, which can be caused by the accumulation of different substances, such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid or struvite.
The type can only be determined from the evaluation of an expelled stone, and this analysis test is usually carried out in cases where a surgical procedure was necessary to remove it, or when there are recurring kidney stones. Learn more about the types of kidney stones.
Who is most at risk
The main known risk factors are:
- Low fluid intake;
- Diet low in calcium and with excess protein and salt;
- Previous personal or family history of kidney stones;
- Obesity;
- Hypertension;
- Diabetes;
- Drop;
- Excess calcium elimination by the kidneys.
Furthermore, struvite stones are caused by urinary tract infections caused by urease-producing germs, such as Proteus is wonderful e Klebsiella. Struvite stones tend to be of the coralliform type, that is, large stones that can occupy the anatomy of the kidneys and urinary tract, and cause damage to renal function.
Bibliography
- MAYANS, L. Nephrolithiasis. First Care. 46. 2; 203-212, 2019
- BISHOP, K.; et al. Nephrolithiasis. First Care. 47. 4; 661-671, 2020
- SIGURJONSDOTTIR, VK; et al. Impact of nephrolithiasis on kidney function. BMC Nephrol. 16. 149, 2015
- NOJABA, L.; GUZMAN, N. IN: STATPEARLS (INTERNET). TREASURE ISLAND (FL): STATPEARLS PUBLISHING. Nephrolithiasis. 2021. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559227/>. Accessed on June 21, 2022
- ALELIGN, T.; PETROS, B. Kidney Stone Disease: An Update on Current Concepts. Adv Urol. 2018. 3068365, 2018
- Longo, DL et al. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 19.ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015.
