How to Diagnose Urinary Stones

Urinary stones, also known as kidney stones, occur when small crystals form in the urine as it leaves the kidneys. When these crystals lodge in urinary tubes, they can cause severe pain and discomfort. A doctor will use your medical history, lab tests and X-rays to diagnose urinary stones. Read on to learn how to diagnose urinary stones.

Things You'll Need

• CAT scan
• Medical history
• X-ray
• Urine sample
• Notebook
• Ultrasound

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Instructions

• 1

  Keep a log of intense abdominal pain. When kidney stones block the passage of urine you will feel strong pain. Stones rubbing against the sides of your ureter can also cause extreme pain.

• 2

  Tell your doctor if you are in a group at higher risk for kidney stones. White men over 30 years old tend to be at higher risk for urine stones, as are those who live in humid climates like the southeastern United States.

• 3

  Let you physician know if you have had kidney stones in the past. Once you have suffered from kidney stones, you are more likely to have them in the future.

• 4

  Discuss kidney stones with your family. People with a family history of urine stones are more likely to suffer from them. Disclose any family history to your doctor.

• 5

  Request lab tests. Pain caused by a kidney stone traveling through your urinary tract can be seen as blood in urine samples under microscopic examination.

• 6

  Have X-rays of the kidneys, ureter and bladder taken. Your doctor will introduce an iodine dye into your urinary system so that any stone can be viewed on X-ray. It may be difficult to find a stone that is traveling through your body.

• 7

  Watch for blood in your urine. A traveling stone may cause bleeding even before you feel pain. Report bleeding amounts and time to your doctor.

• 8

  Report nausea or vomiting to your doctor. Some types of kidney stones can trigger nausea.

• 9

  Undergo an ultrasound test. When a stone cannot be found by X-ray, ultrasound tests can diagnose urinary stones. An ultrasound will show tell tale swelling of a kidney caused by a stone.

• 10

  Opt for a CAT scan for difficult to find stones. CAT scans do not require that a dye be injected to locate kidney stones.