• Source:JND
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Kidney stones (also called renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys. Stones can affect any part of the urinary tract- from kidneys to urinary bladder. A kidney stone usually will not cause symptoms until it moves around within the kidney or passes into one of the ureters. 

In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr. Abhinav Jain, Consultant - Urology, Manipal Hospital Dwarka, New Delhi listed warning signs of kidney stones that one should not ignore.

Signs Of Kindey Stones

  • Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity. This kind of pain is called colic.
  • Severe, sharp pain in the side and back below the ribs
  • Pain or burning sensation while urinating
  • Pink, red or brown urine
  • Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
  • Persistent need to urinate, urinating in small amounts and urinating more often or needing to go to the washroom urgently to pass urine
  • Difficulty passing urine
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fever and chills
  • Feeling of being unwell
  • Sudden blockage of urine due to stone getting stuck in urine passage (urethra)
  • Swelling in feet
  • Swelling and puffiness around eyes
  • Decrease in 24-hour urine output
  • Pain in the lower abdomen that may mimic appendicitis
  • Sudden rise in serum creatinine levels in persons with previously normally functioning kidneys
  • Rise in creatinine in a chronic kidney failure patient whose creatinine was already high but was stable with or without dialysis

Kidney stones are sometimes considered the great mimickers. Some unusual/weird symptoms may be:

1. Pain in the testicles in men or pain in the labia in females

2. Pain may mimic ovarian conditions or gastritis

3. Feeling sick to your stomach

Hence, it can be seen that the symptomatology of the kidney stones depends on the time since when the stone has been present in the body and the location of the stone (kidney, upper /mid or lower ureter, urethra or urinary bladder). In many of the patients, stones are detected incidentally on Ultrasound/CT being done to evaluate some other problem.

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