What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

How Can You Tell If You Have a Kidney Stone, and When Is It an Emergency?

What Is a Kidney Stone?

A kidney stone is formed when certain minerals and salts in the urine crystallize over time, creating hard structures within the kidney. While these stones may remain dormant inside the kidney,theycancause severe pain and serious symptomsif they move into the urinary tract (ureter).

As Prof. Dr. Volkan İzolfrequently emphasizes in hisclinical practice, kidney stones are not merely a “painful condition”; they are a serious urological problem that can impair kidney function if left untreated.

How Common Are Kidney Stones?

  • About 10–15% of the population will experience kidney stones at some point in their lives
  • It is more common in men than in women
  • The first stone usually appears between the ages of 20 and 50
  • People who have had a kidney stone onceare at high risk of recurrence

What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Symptoms of kidney stones vary dependingon the stone'ssize,location, andwhether it is moving.

📌 Important Information

Some kidney stones can remain in the kidney for yearswithout causing any symptoms. However, the situation changes completely the moment they move into the urinary tract.

1️⃣ Side (Flank) and Lower Back Pain

The most typical and well-known symptom of a kidney stoneis severe flank pain.

Characteristics of Pain

  • Sudden onset
  • It comes in waves
  • The violence is escalating
  • It makes a person unable to sit still
  • It is usually unilateral

This pain is commonly known as“kidney pain”or“renal colic.”

Prof. Dr. Volkan İzol emphasizes that sudden and severe flank pain of this nature must always be evaluated for the possibility of kidney stones.

2️⃣ Pain Spreading to the Groin and Genital Area

Pain as the stone moves down from the kidney:

  • In the groin area
  • Lower abdomen
  • In men, the testicle
  • In women, the groin and labia area

It can spread.

This situation can often be misleading enough to cause patients to be referred to different medical specialties.

3️⃣ Blood in the Urine (Hematuria)

As a result of a kidney stone irritating the urinary tract:

  • Visibly bloody urine
  • Or simply occult blood detected in a urinalysis

may occur.

📌Blood in the urine should never be considered “normal.”

4️⃣ Burning Sensation When Urinating and Frequent Urination

As the stone approaches the lower sections of the urinary tract:

  • Burning sensation when urinating
  • Frequent urination
  • Feeling the urge to urinate but passing only a small amount of urine

complaints such as these may arise.

This condition is often mistaken for a urinary tract infection.

5️⃣ Nausea and Vomiting

Severe kidney stone pain is often:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of Appetite

accompanies it. This is due to the shared stimulation of the nerves of the kidneys and the digestive system.

6️⃣ Fever and Chills (Emergency!)

If a kidney stone is accompanied byfever and chills, this is a very serious condition.

What Does This Mean?

  • The stone may have blocked the flow of urine
  • An infection may have developed
  • There may be an inflammatory blockage in the kidney

🚨Fever + kidney stones = requires immediate medical attention.

Prof. Dr. Volkan İzol strongly emphasizes that patients with kidney stones should seek medical attention at a hospital without delay.

7️⃣ Kidney Stones That Cause No Symptoms

Some stones:

  • Small
  • Not moving
  • Remaining silent within the kidney

They may be stones. These stones are often:

  • During the check-up
  • When undergoing an ultrasound or CT scan

It is noticed by chance.

However, these stones can also grow over time and cause problems.

How Do Kidney Stone Symptoms Vary Depending on the Stone's Location?

🔹 Kidney Stone

  • Mild lower back pain
  • There are often no symptoms

🔹 Ureter (Urinary Tract) Stone

  • Severe side pain
  • Pain radiating to the groin
  • Nausea, vomiting

🔹 Bladder Stone

  • Pain when urinating
  • Urinary retention
  • Frequent urination

Who Is More Prone to Kidney Stones?

  • People who drink little water
  • People who eat a very salty diet
  • People who consume excessive amounts of protein
  • Obese individuals
  • People with a family history of kidney stones
  • People living in hot climates
  • People who have been inactive for a long time

Conditions That Can Be Confused With Kidney Stone Symptoms

  • Appendicitis
  • Herniated disc
  • Gallstone
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Testicular Diseases

For this reason, a urological evaluation is essential for an accurate diagnosis.

How Are Kidney Stones Diagnosed?

Methods Used

  • Urinalysis
  • Blood tests
  • Ultrasonography
  • Computed tomography (the most accurate method)

In Prof. Dr. Volkan İzol’sapproach, not only the presence of the stone but alsoits size, location, and effect on the kidneyare evaluated together.

What Happens If a Kidney Stone Is Left Untreated?

Untreated kidney stones:

  • Recurring pain
  • Chronic infection
  • Loss of kidney function
  • Permanent kidney damage

What could be the reason?

When Should You Definitely See a Doctor?

  • If you have severe, persistent side pain
  • If there is blood in your urine
  • If accompanied by a fever and chills
  • If you're not feeling any relief despite taking pain relievers
  • If you have a history of kidney stones

Conclusion

Symptoms of kidney stones can vary from person to person. While they may be asymptomatic in some patients, they can cause pain that seriously impairs quality of life in others.
It is important not to underestimate the symptoms and to seek expert evaluation at the right time.

In the modern urology approach adopted by Prof. Dr. Volkan İzol, the goal is not only to treat the stonebut alsoto providelasting solutions that will prevent its recurrence.