Kidney stones can cause extreme pain. Kidney stones are small pebble-like objects that originate within the kidneys. Although not all kidney stones cause symptoms, if they grow large enough  or start to move within the urinary tract, it can lead to extreme distress.

Signs and symptoms of Kidney stones

The most common symptoms of kidney stones are:

• Severe pain that is located around the groin, side, back or below the ribs
• Pain that comes and goes in waves
• Pain when passing urine
• Urine that appears cloudy, pink, red, or brown, or smells bad
• Going to the bathroom more frequently
• High temperature
• Fever and chills
• Nausea or vomiting

If you experience pain alongside one or more of these symptoms, you may be suffering from kidney stones. Additionally, if you notice a fever, chills or high temperature this may be a sign of an infection as well. At this point, seek medical attention immediately.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will diagnose kidney stones using a combination of urine testing, blood tests and diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound scan. These tests can help confirm the presence of a kidney stone and it’s location.

Treatment

Kidney stones come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pebble.

If the kidney stones you have are small, your doctor may advise you to let them pass naturally when passing urine. You will also be told to drink lots of water and take over the counter pain medication as appropriate.

If the kidney stones are larger in size, your doctor may suggest an outpatient procedure known as lithotripsy. Here, the stones are broken up into smaller pieces so they can pass through the urine easily and with much less pain.

Prognosis

Passing kidney stones can be painful, but the stones themselves usually cause no lasting damage , as long as they’re discovered in a timely fashion

How to prevent kidney stones

If you’ve already had one or more kidney stones, you’re at increased risk of developing another. Here are some tips to help keep kidney stones from occurring

• Drink plenty of water. At least 1L a day. Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to prevent kidney stones.
• Avoid foods that are very high in oxalates such as rhubarb, peanuts, spinach, beets and sweet potatoes
• Eat less salt – A high-salt diet increases your risk of calcium kidney stones.
• Eat less animal protein – limit or beef, poultry and pork.