When you’re in pain, the goal is to find relief right away. Kidney stones are a common cause of severe pain, and recognizing the symptoms can be key to getting the care you need quickly.
As a urologist, here’s what I wish everyone knew about how to tell if your pain is caused by kidney stones or something else — and what to do about it.
Recognize the symptoms of kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard objects made from chemicals in urine. They start to hurt when they cause irritation or blockage.
Kidney stone symptoms include:
- Severe pain on either side of your lower back
- Pain with nausea and vomiting
- Pain with fever and chills
- Pain that radiates or comes and goes
- Urine that is pink, brown, red, cloudy, or smelly
- Pain or burning while passing urine
- Persistent need to urinate
Since kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball or even larger, the discomfort may make it difficult to sit still or find a comfortable position.
What to do if you think you have a kidney stone
Many of my patients ask if they need emergency care for a kidney stone. The truth is, it’s possible to pass a small kidney stone at home. Drinking plenty of water and producing a lot of urine can help.
However, in general, I recommend visiting the emergency department if you think you may have a kidney stone. That’s especially important if you experience:
- Severe pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever or chills
- Blood in your urine
Temple Health has four full-service emergency departments that provide comprehensive care day or night:
- Temple University Hospital – Main Campus
- Temple Emergency Medicine – Jeanes Campus
- Temple University Hospital – Episcopal Campus
- Temple Health – Chestnut Hill Hospital
Each of Temple’s emergency departments is equipped to help relieve your pain and ensure you get the diagnosis and treatment you need. That’s especially important because kidney stone symptoms could be a sign of another condition.
Conditions that can be mistaken for a kidney stone
Some symptoms can overlap with a variety of conditions. Kidney stone symptoms could also be caused by:
Appendicitis, diverticulitis, or lower back pain: The severe pain that’s often a prominent sign of a kidney stone can also signal appendicitis or general back pain. Nausea, vomiting, and pain that migrates around the lower abdomen can indicate an acute issue with the intestinal tract.
Urinary tract infection (UTI): Pain, blood in the urine, and frequent urination can be symptoms of kidney stones or a UTI.
Stomach flu or virus: The abdominal pain of kidney stones can be mistaken for food poisoning or the flu. Pain can also make people vomit or feel nauseous, like they would with a stomach virus.
At the Fox Chase -Temple Urologic Institute, doctors will listen to your symptoms and do a thorough evaluation. They may order imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis and to monitor the size and position of your kidney stones. And they can make sure you get the treatment and follow-up care you need.
Kidney stone treatment
Often, pain relief and increased hydration are all that’s needed to pass kidney stones. But in some cases, more advanced care is needed from a urologist. We specialize in this state-of-the-art care.
Larger stones or those that haven’t passed on their own may require lithotripsy. With this treatment, we break the stone into small pieces or dust using high-intensity shock waves. Other stones can be turned to dust with a laser with passage of a small instrument through the urethra and into the kidney.
A small percentage of patients require minimally invasive surgery, a procedure known as percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We make a small incision in the back and insert a scope. Then, we either remove stones or grind them up and suction them out.
Your care doesn’t stop once the stone has passed. If needed, we’ll help connect you to a urologist for further care.
Specialized urology care can help prevent kidney stones
As I explain to my patients, once you’ve had one kidney stone, you are more likely to develop another. The experienced urologists at the Fox Chase-Temple Urologic Institute can help identify the cause of your kidney stones — and help you prevent them.
That often includes making specific changes to your lifestyle or diet. But for some of my patients with stone disorders, treatment may include medications to help prevent stones from forming.
Whether you’re experiencing kidney stone symptoms now or need help to prevent stones from recurring, the urology team at Fox Chase - Temple Urologic Institute can help. Schedule an appointment or call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536) today.
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