Kidney Stones

Also called: Nephrolithiasis

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Kidney Stones is theNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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Find health information in languages other than English on Kidney Stones

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New on the MedlinePlus Kidney Stones page:

Kidney Stone Analysis

07/25/2018 01:54 PM EDT

Source: National Library of Medicine - From the National Institutes of Health

Phosphate in Urine

07/25/2018 01:54 PM EDT

Source: National Library of Medicine - From the National Institutes of Health

Summary

A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain.

The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor's help:

Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
Blood in your urine
Fever and chills
Vomiting
Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
A burning feeling when you urinate

Your doctor will diagnose a kidney stone with urine, blood, and imaging tests.

If you have a stone that won't pass on its own, you may need treatment. It can be done with shock waves; with a scope inserted through the tube that carries urine out of the body, called the urethra; or with surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Definition and Facts for Kidney Stones in Adults (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Kidney Stones (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)Also in Spanish
Pebbles in Your Plumbing: Flushing Kidney Stones (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish

Symptoms

Do You Have Symptoms of a Kidney Stone? (National Kidney Foundation)

Diagnosis and Tests

Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
Crystals in Urine (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Kidney Stone Analysis (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Kidney Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Phosphate in Urine (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
Uric Acid Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Urography (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Lithotripsy (National Kidney Foundation)
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy (National Kidney Foundation)
Ureteroscopy (National Kidney Foundation)

Living With

Diet and Kidney Stones (National Kidney Foundation)Also in Spanish
Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)