Explore common signs and symptoms of kidney stones.
See treatment options and when to visit an emergency room.
Find doctors and urologists in your area and get help fast.
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys or urinary tract and cause progressively more painful symptoms as they pass through.
Kidney stones can have a variety of symptoms, including:
If you have intense or unbearable pain, blood in your urine, vomiting, or a fever, you should seek immediate medical help.
Increase Fluids
Drinking plenty of water and other fluids is the most effective way to reduce risks and can help to flush out minerals that cause stones from your urinary tract
Medications
Certain prescription medications, including alpha-blockers and calcium channel blockers, can help to dissolve or break up kidney stones, making them easier to pass.
Pain Relief
Over-the-counter pain medications, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help to manage the pain caused by kidney stones.
Surgery
In some cases, kidney stones must be removed surgically, although most physicians will attempt less invasive methods to locate and remove stones.
Shock-Wave
The most common treatment uses high-pressure shock waves, rather than surgery, to break up and dissolve stones. It usually takes less than an hour with mild sedation.
Are you currently in pain?
Have you been diagnosed with kidney stones?
Are you currently in an ER?
Would you like to be referred to a specialist near you?
Enter your zip code belowat right to find select doctors near you that specialize in kidney stones where you can make an appointment. If you have these symptoms, it is advised to seek immediate help.
See all the doctors and urologists near you that can treat your kidney stones.
Check these signs to see if you should visit an emergency room first.
See all the doctors and urologists near you that can treat your kidney stones.
Check these signs to see if you should visit an emergency room first.
12%
Worldwide, kidney
stones affect up to
12% of people.
Drinking plenty of fluids
is the most effective way
to avoid kidney stones.
2X
Men are nearly twice
as likely than women to
have kidney stones.
Kidney stone risk
increases with age
and weight gain.
What causes kidney stones?
Usually, your kidneys remove waste from your blood to make urine. When there is too much waste in your blood and your body is not producing enough urine, crystals begin to form in your kidneys. These crystals attract other wastes and chemicals to form a solid object (a kidney stone) that will get larger unless it is passed out of your body in your urine. Learn more
When should you go to the ER?
You should go to the hospital or seek medical attention for these kidney stone symptoms:
Getting medical attention is important. To treat and alleviate your pain,
use our doctor finder to get connected with a specialist near you.