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Kidney Stone Complications

Kidney stones are deposits of minerals and uric acid salts that develop in the kidneys and cause severe pain as they make their way out of the body. While kidney stones are not associated with permanent damage to the body, they can cause health-affecting complications that necessitate immediate treatment.

  1. Urinary Tract Infections

    • A urinary tract infection occurs when an abnormal amount of bacteria are present in the urinary tract, where they grow and spread. The presence of kidney stones in the body increases the risk for a urinary tract infection, as the stone can keep urine from flowing freely, which can result in bacterial buildup.

    Kidney Failure

    • While this occurrence is rare, in some instances kidney stones can cause kidney failure, according to The New York Times. This is due to a blockage in the urinary tract that keeps the kidneys from properly functioning. Patients with this complication typically have additional risk factors, such as frequent kidney stones; frequent kidney stones accompanied by urinary tract infections; or kidney stones that are extremely large in size.

    Kidney Damage

    • If a larger stone does not pass through the kidneys to the ureters, the stone can begin to take on more mass and encompass the renal pelvis area, obstructing the flow of materials through the kidneys and causing tissue damage.

    Hematuria

    • Also known as blood in the urine, hematuria occurs because the kidney stones aggravate the urinary tract lining. This results in pink or reddish urine. A physician may require further testing to examine the makeup of the urine in order to determine the materials from which the kidney stone formed. This can typically be conducted via dipstick testing or simple urine sample.

    Nausea and Vomiting

    • The pain involved with kidney stones can radiate to the abdominal muscles as well as the back and sides. In addition to this pain, cramping in the abdomen can occur. These two symptoms combine to cause nausea and vomiting, which should improve as the stone passes.

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