Wondering if you may be dealing with kidney stones? Calcium Oxalate kidney stones are a build-up of minerals that form inside the kidney. Because your body sees the kidney stones as foreign objects, your body tries to expel the kidney stones out of your system. This is when you may start experiencing various symptoms.
But what kind of kidney stone symptoms and signs should you be looking out for? Here are the ones that are common no matter what kind of kidney stone you have.
1. Pain on your belly, sides, and/or back
The most common symptom is pain in these areas. The pain can be sharp or dull. The pain can come in waves or hit you all at once. The intensity of the pain can also vary from bearable to intense.
The reason why you’ll experience this pain is because the kidney stone is trying to get through your ureters. This is the passageway that goes from your kidneys to your urinary tract. Since your ureters are
narrow, it can cause severe muscle spasms and a lot of pain to pass the stone.
2. Frequent feeling of having to urinate
Another one of the common kidney stone symptoms is feeling that you constantly need to go to the bathroom. You may experience this symptom even if you’ve recently gone to the bathroom. This symptom is caused because the kidney stone is putting a lot of pressure onto your ureters.
3. Unnatural urine
You may also see your urine being an unnatural color. This can be caused by the kidney stone causing friction in your body’s attempt to pass it through your system. You may see it stained by blood which mixes with the urine and shows up as a pink, brownish, or reddish color. You may also find that your urine is either cloudier than usually and/or has an abnormal smell.
4. Fever and chills
If you’re experiencing fever and chills, you may be experiencing one of the more serious kidney stone symptoms. Fever and chills can occur if you have a serious case of kidney stones that has led to an infection. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you will want to go see a doctor as soon as possible to see if you are dealing with an actual infection.
5. Nausea and vomiting
It may sound weird but nausea and vomiting is also a common symptom. The reason you experience nausea and vomit is because the kidney stone is stimulating your nerves. These nerves can upset your stomach as well as your intestinal area. Keep in mind that this may also be caused by an infection but usually, it’s because of all the nerve stimulation.
6. Pain or burning during urination
Pain or burning during urination is usually felt during the final stages of getting rid of your kidney stone. The kidney stone may cause friction in your urethra and cause a burning sensation and/or pain. In some cases, you may experience resistance and pressure during urination. You may have to push a bit harder to help expel the kidney stone out of your system.
7. Constant pressure
Some people may not feel extreme symptoms but feel constant ongoing pressure. The pressure can be felt on your belly, sides, and urinary tract. If the symptoms are not going away, you may be dealing with a kidney stone. Usually, the pressure is accompanied with a few of the other symptoms on this list.
These are the various kidney stone signs and symptoms you’ll experience. You may experience one or more of these symptoms at once. For the average person, they’ll experience at least two of the symptoms that were mentioned in this list. Just make sure you take fever and chills seriously as it may be a sign of infection.
