What They Are
Kidney stones are hard lumps that form when urine gets too concentrated. They range from a grain of sand to a few centimetres across. About one person in ten gets one at some point. Once you have had one, another is likely unless something changes.
The Four Types
- Calcium oxalate: By far the commonest. Linked to drinking too little.
- Uric acid: More often in men, and in people with gout.
- Struvite: Usually follows repeated urine infections.
- Cystine: Rare, and runs in families.
If you catch a stone, keep it. Testing it tells us which kind you make, and that is what makes prevention advice specific rather than general.
What Raises the Risk
- Not drinking enough — the one thing most within your control
- A lot of salt, or a lot of meat
- Extra weight, and sitting for most of the day
- Stones in the family
- Having had a stone before
- Gout, repeated urine infections, or a parathyroid problem
Symptoms
Small stones can pass with no pain at all. Larger ones, or ones that block the flow, cause:
- Severe pain in the side that comes in waves and spreads to the groin
- Blood in the urine — either visible, or found on a test
- Vomiting along with the pain
- Burning and a frequent urge, once the stone nears the bladder
Fever with pain in the side, no urine at all, or pain that tablets will not touch. A blocked kidney with infection in it needs draining within hours. This is not something to sleep on.
Treatment
- Wait and take a tablet: For stones under 5 mm, with enough water and pain relief.
- ESWL: Shock waves from outside break up stones to about 15 mm. No cut at all.
- Laser through the urine passage: A fine telescope goes up the natural passage and a laser breaks the stone. Usually a day procedure.
- PCNL: For stones over 20 mm, through a small puncture in the back. Read the PCNL guide →
Bring the CT images, not just the report. Size, position and hardness are what decide the treatment.
Read More
Full guide: symptoms, tests and every treatment option → · Download the stone diet sheet →
