How to Find Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are caused by mineral deposits in the kidney; they form when there is an abundance of chemicals that cannot be dissolved in the urine. Kidney stones can cause severe pain if they become lodged in the ureter where urine flows from the kidney to the bladder. About one in every 10 people develops kidney stones. Diagnosis of kidney stones involves taking a medical history, laboratory tests and performing one or more imaging tests.

Things You'll Need

• Laboratory tests
• Imaging tests

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Instructions

How to Diagnose Kidney Stones

• 1

  Visit your doctor and tell him what symptoms you are experiencing, such as blood in your urine or pain in your lower back or when you urinate. Your doctor will evaluate your current and past medical symptoms. He might tap on the area where you kidneys are (both sides of your lower back) and see if your pain worsens. He also will take your temperature to see if you have a fever, which could indicate that a urinary tract infection is present. In this case, you will need to take a course of antibiotics.

• 2

  Have your urine checked (urinalysis) to detect whether there is blood or bacteria in your urine. Your doctor will test for creatinine levels, electrolytes and calcium during the urinalysis to evaluate your kidney function. A blood test (complete blood count) will be done to detect the presence of infection.

• 3

  Get an ultrasound (using high-frequency sound waves) to produce a picture of your internal organs. Ultrasound might reveal that a kidney stone is lodged in the ureter, but it cannot detect small stones, especially stones that are located on the outside of the kidney. If this is inconclusive, you will need further tests.

• 4

  Next, get an IVP (intravenous pyelogram) involving a series of X-rays in which dye is injected into your vein to provide an image of the kidneys and ureters. If a stone is blocking a ureter, it should show up in this test. If this test does not provide enough information, you might need another test to detect the kidney stone.

• 5

  This test is called a cystoscopy, in which a telescopic instrument is inserted into your bladder. A dye is injected directly into the opening where the instrument is inserted so an X-ray can reveal the kidney stone. Also called a retrograde pyelogram, this is the most reliable method for looking at the urinary system. You might be given an anesthetic for this procedure.

• 6

  Ask about getting a CT (computerized tomography) scan if you cannot tolerate the contrast solution (dye) used in other tests; however small stones near the bladder might be difficult to detect with CT scan. CT scans can identify other medical conditions that might be causing symptoms similar to kidney stones.