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Signs & Symptoms of Kidney Stone Obstructions

Kidney stones can occur for a variety of reasons, and usually they are not serious. However, they can become serious if they cause an obstruction. Kidney stones in general often do not cause any symptoms, but obstructions usually have severe symptoms that warn you to seek immediate medical attention.

  1. Pain

    • The main sign of a kidney stone obstruction is extreme pain or cramping in the lower back, side, groin, ribs, inner thigh, hip or abdomen. This pain is frequently referred to as a renal colic and often comes and goes suddenly. The pain can peak at different levels of intensity for about 20 to 60 minutes.

    Stomach Problems

    • Nausea and vomiting will sometimes accompany the pain associated with kidney stone obstructions.

    Flu-Like Symptoms

    • Flu-like symptoms accompanying the previous symptoms, such as sweating, chills and a fever, can be signs that the kidney stone obstruction has gone on too long.

    Urinary Problems

    • Urinary problems often are signs that someone has a kidney stone obstruction. Abnormal urine color, blood in the urine, an urgent need to urinate, difficulty urinating and frequent urination are all possible problems associated with obstructions.

    Genital Discomfort

    • A possible symptom of a kidney stone obstruction is penile or testicular pain or discomfort.

    Warning

    • If you experience any of the above symptoms or a combination of them, seek medical attention immediately. Kidney stone obstructions can be serious and will need to be treated as soon as possible. The sooner you seek medical attention after you first experience symptoms, the better.

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