Medical emergencies are frightening experiences. It’s never easy being in an unfamiliar situation when trouble occurs. Below are some signs of kidney stones. Knowing these symptoms can help prepare for any next steps if kidney stones do occur and increase a patient’s knowledge of next steps. Making an informed decision can help ease the navigation between options like surgeries, laser fragmentation, and medications. 

Pain

Passing a kidney stone can be an extremely painful experience. There are quite a few different types of pain that a patient can experience throughout the process. Kidney stones are most often characterized by sharp pain in the sides, lower abdomen, or groin of the body. The pain can often pass through the body in waves. Additionally, this pain might fluctuate in intensity throughout the process of passing the kidney stone. 

Urinary Troubles

Trouble with the urinary tract inherently accompanies kidney stones. In addition to the sharp bodily pains, people with kidney stones also experience pain while trying to urinate. Urine is often discolored and could be cloudy, brown, red or pink. It is also sometimes accompanied by irregular or foul smells. People passing kidney stones may also experience the urge to urinate at a higher frequency than is typical. As the process of urinating is so painful, it might seem unnatural to continue fluid intake, but in reality this is one of the best ways to ease the process of passing a kidney stone. High volumes of fluid intake can help flush out the body’s system. 

Infection

If complications occur, other symptoms may become present. Infection accompanying a kidney stone can yield visible symptoms like chills, a fever, or even severe nausea and vomiting. People can also feel extremely weak and tired. While all of these symptoms are cause for concern, these more severe experiences indicate further trouble. Don’t ignore any of these signs and always consult an expert for best practices and solutions.