Symptoms & Risk Factors of Kidney Stones
A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time.
Kidney stones can form when urine contains too much of certain substances. These substances can create small crystals that become stones.
Kidney stones may not produce symptoms until they begin to move down the tubes (ureters) through which urine empties into the bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys. This causes swelling of the kidney or kidneys, causing pain. The pain is usually severe.
Kidney stones are common. A person who has had kidney stones often gets them again in the future. Kidney stones often occur in premature infants.
Some types of stones tend to run in families. Certain kinds of stones can occur with bowel disease, ileal bypass for obesity, or renal tubule defects.
See also : Different types of Stones
The main symptom is severe pain that starts suddenly and may go away suddenly: