A sudden, gripping pain in your side or back hits out of nowhere, and you can't get comfortable no matter how you sit or lie down. It comes in waves, sometimes spreading toward your lower belly or groin. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with a kidney stone, and you are far from alone.
Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract, and the pain they cause can be intense and frightening. The good news is that the symptoms are usually recognizable, many small stones pass on their own, and most situations are manageable once you know what to look for and when to get help.
What Are the Main Symptoms of a Kidney Stone?
The hallmark symptom of a kidney stone is sudden, severe pain. Interestingly, a stone often causes no symptoms at all until it starts to move within the kidney or drops into the ureter, the narrow tube connecting the kidney to the bladder. When a stone lodges in the ureter, it can block urine flow, causing the kidney to swell and the ureter to spasm, which is what produces the classic, overwhelming pain.
Beyond pain, kidney stones can show up in several other ways. Symptoms can come and go, and they may shift as the stone moves through the urinary tract.
- Sharp pain in the back, side, lower abdomen, or groin
- Pain that comes in waves and changes in intensity
- Blood in the urine, which may look pink, red, or brown
- Pain or burning while urinating
- Cloudy or bad-smelling urine
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills, which can signal an infection
What Does Kidney Stone Pain Feel Like?
Kidney stone pain has a distinctive pattern that doctors call renal colic. It is typically a severe, sharp pain felt in the side and back, just below the ribs, that radiates toward the lower abdomen and groin. Rather than staying steady, the pain comes in waves that rise and fall in intensity.
As the stone moves through the urinary tract, the pain may shift location or change in how strong it feels. Many people describe it as one of the worst pains they have ever experienced, and it often comes with nausea and vomiting. A telltale sign is restlessness: unlike some kinds of pain that ease when you hold still, stone pain can leave you unable to sit, lie, or stand comfortably.
How Common Are Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are very common. About 11 percent of men and 6 percent of women in the United States will have a kidney stone at least once during their lifetime. Overall, roughly 8.8 percent of U.S. adults are affected, with prevalence near 10.6 percent in men and 7.1 percent in women.
Risk rises with age. And once you have had a stone, you are at increased risk of forming another, which is why prevention matters after a first episode.
Will a Kidney Stone Pass on Its Own?
Many small kidney stones pass without the need for a procedure, though it can take time and the wait can be uncomfortable. Whether a stone passes on its own depends largely on its size and where it sits in the ureter.
Smaller stones are far more likely to pass, and the chances improve the closer the stone is to the bladder, because the ureter is widest there. In one large imaging study, about 65 percent of stones that were 5 millimeters wide passed on their own within 20 weeks. Passage rates fall off quickly as stones get larger.
Location matters too. An older helical-CT study found that the further down the ureter a stone sits, the more likely it is to pass on its own:
- About 48 percent for stones in the proximal ureter (nearest the kidney)
- About 60 percent for stones in the mid-ureter
- About 75 percent for stones in the distal ureter (nearest the bladder)
When Should You See a Doctor?
Some kidney stone situations need prompt medical attention, and a few are true emergencies. Seek care if you have pain so severe you cannot sit still or find a comfortable position, pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting, blood in your urine, or difficulty passing urine.
Fever and chills along with stone pain are an urgent warning sign. They can indicate an infected stone that is also blocking urine flow, which can be a medical emergency requiring immediate evaluation. If you notice these symptoms together, do not wait at home. To confirm a stone and check its size, location, and whether it is blocking urine, doctors typically use a CT scan, ultrasound, or X-ray.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new skincare treatment, especially if you have underlying health conditions, are pregnant, or are taking medications.
