8 Early Warning Symptoms of Kidney Stones
You wake up in the middle of the night feverish, your lower back hurts, and your abdomen is
painfully swollen and tender.
What’s worse; when you get up to use the bathroom, it’s so painful to urinate that
you think you might die.
You, my friend, are likely one in 10-percent of North Americans with a kidney stone.
This excruciating condition occurs when a small speck of calcium (from your urine) forms
in the kidney or the ureter (the passageway from your kidney to your bladder) and more
minerals stick to it to form a tiny stone that many patients describe as so terrible
its “more agonizing than giving birth”.
If you have a kidney stone, you’ll likely know it soon enough.
However, there are several early warning signs that can alert you to the formation of a stone
early on…
1.
Frequent & Painful Urination
One of the earliest and most common warning signs that you may have kidney stones is a
sudden and unexplained increase in the frequency and urgency of urination.
You will notice an intense need to urinate, even when you haven’t been drinking unusually
large quantities of fluid.
However, you may find that very little urine comes out when you do get to the bathroom,
given that your body doesn’t actually have much liquid to expel.
When you do produce a normal volume of urine, you may find that the act of urinating causes
intense pain.
This happens if the kidney stone is moving from the bladder into the urethra.
Sharp, searing pain will occur, and you may also develop a urinary tract infection (UTI)
as the kidney stone migrates further.
By the time things reach this point, chances are you’ll already have gone to see your
doctor; if you haven’t, book an appointment.
2.
Spreading Back Pain
A localized, nondescript form of pain often accompanies kidney stones from their earliest
stages.
Patients usually report that this pain begins in their sides and back, just below the rib
cage where the kidneys are located.
As the condition develops, the pain may travel from the lower abdomen down into your groin
area and into your lower back, presenting in fluctuating waves of throbbing pain and
general tenderness.
These waves of pain can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on
the size and location of the kidney stones.
Men with kidney stones may also find that the pain can migrate into their scrotum and
testicles.
Some of the symptoms of kidney stones may mimic certain sexually transmitted infections
(STIs), especially pain in the genital region and painful urination.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important that you get a prompt and proper
diagnosis as soon as possible.
3.
Blood in Urine
In addition to more frequent urination and painful urination, you will likely notice
changes in the color and consistency of your urine if you have kidney stones.
Discoloration is one of the most notable of these changes; rather than being clear or
yellow in color, your urine may range anywhere from pink or red to light or dark brown.
As the kidney stones grow and block off your urethra, you may also begin to notice your
urine tinged with small amounts of blood, a condition known as hematuria.
Blood gets into your urine when the kidney stone lodges itself in your urethra, scraping
against your ureter or kidneys.
If that sounds painful, that’s because it is – this condition causes intense discomfort.
The amount of pain you’re in is a good indicator of the size of the kidney stone; larger stones
cause more intense pain, while smaller ones produce milder discomfort.
4.
Nausea & Vomiting
Some people suffering from kidney stones report that they feel nauseous.
In some cases, this nausea can become so severe that it will cause vomiting, which can, in
turn, cause a host of other complications ranging from nutritional deficits to dehydration.
One of the causes of vomiting is the intense pain that you will experience if you pass
a kidney stone.
Some people find the pain so intense that they throw up.
Another reason vomiting occurs is that the kidneys play a very important role in eliminating
toxins and waste from your body.
Kidney stones impair the organ’s proper function, meaning that there are likely to
be elevated levels of toxins and impurities in your stomach contents and bloodstream.
Your body wants to get rid of these toxins, but if your kidney function is impaired, vomiting
may be the only other way to expel them.
5.
Pungent Smelling Urine
Patients suffering from kidney stones will also notice that along with discoloration,
urine also appears cloudy and may give off a pungent and foul odor.
While it is normal for urine to give off a slightly bitter smell from time to time, there’s
no mistaking or missing the kind of sharp stench that can occur if you have kidney stones.
This odor occurs due to the presence of a heavy concentration of hard chemicals and
toxins in the urine.
As mentioned, the kidneys play an important role in removing toxins and chemical impurities
from your body.
Many of these substances are eliminated through the urine, but with your kidney’s normal
functioning impaired, these toxins can linger and actually crystallize in the body.
Those crystallized toxins are what the kidney stone is made of, and when they are released
in your urine, you’ll smell the difference.
6.
Inability to Sit
Once the kidney stone reaches a larger size, it often becomes so aggravating that patients
will find themselves unable to sit down or lay down for an extended period of time.
This is because seated or laying-down positions put additional pressure on the affected area,
intensifying the pain and pressure as the kidney stone comes in contact with a wider
range of internal systems and structures.
Many people with kidney stones combat this symptom by standing up and pacing around;
anecdotal evidence suggests that these activities can provide temporary relief.
The uncomfortable pressure and pain caused by kidney stones can also interfere with your
ability to get a good night’s sleep, and a significant number of patients complain
of interrupted or unrestful sleep.
Over an extended period of time, sleep loss can lead to loss of cognitive performance
and an inability to concentrate.
7.
Fever & Chills
It is unusual for kidney stones to go untreated, since the symptoms they cause produce such
high levels of pain and discomfort.
However, in a small minority of cases, the kidney stone remains relatively small and
doesn’t cause intense symptoms.
In such cases, the kidney stone is still causing problems in the urinary tract, scratching
up against surfaces and creating small internal wounds which could become infected.
Kidney stones bring a heightened risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), which can, in turn,
cause a fever and chills.
Other symptoms of UTIs include abdominal or pelvic pain, and abnormalities in the color,
frequency and consistency of urine.
The fever can reach high levels, potentially putting the patient in danger.
You should always consult a doctor if you have a high fever, especially if it’s accompanied
by chills and isn’t being caused by a known factor, like a cold or flu.
8.
Kidney & Abdominal Swelling
If the kidney stones reach a large size, they can effectively block the normal flow of urine,
preventing urine from traveling through the urethra on its way out of the body.
This creates a backlog of urine, which gives rise to a whole host of potentially serious
symptoms.
One of the earliest signs that things are reaching this critical stage is intensely
painful swelling of the kidneys.
You have two kidneys, one on either side of your body.
They are located beneath your diaphragm, near your lower back.
If they become painfully swollen, you will notice swelling and inflammation in this area,
and in surrounding regions of the abdomen and groin.
These areas will be very painful to the touch, and you should seek immediate medical attention
if you develop these symptoms.
Should this symptom go untreated, you risk having your body go into septic shock as it
becomes overwhelmed by the toxins in the urine it can’t get rid of.