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Kidney Stones
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/kidneystones.html

Kidney Stones

Also called: Nephrolithiasis
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Specifics
  • Genetics

See, Play and Learn

  • Videos and Tutorials

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

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Summary

A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain.

The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor's help:

  • Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
  • Blood in your urine
  • Fever and chills
  • Vomiting
  • Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
  • A burning feeling when you urinate

Your doctor will diagnose a kidney stone with urine, blood, and imaging tests.

If you have a stone that won't pass on its own, you may need treatment. It can be done with shock waves; with a scope inserted through the tube that carries urine out of the body, called the urethra; or with surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

  • Definition and Facts for Kidney Stones From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Kidney Stones (National Kidney Foundation)
  • Kidney Stones From the National Institutes of Health Easy-to-Read (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Pebbles in Your Plumbing: Flushing Kidney Stones From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Crystals in Urine From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney Stone Analysis From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Phosphate in Urine From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Uric Acid Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Urography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) (National Kidney Foundation)
  • Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy/Nephrolithotripsy (National Kidney Foundation)
  • Ureteroscopy (National Kidney Foundation)

Living With

  • Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Kidney Stones From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney Stone Diet Plan and Prevention (National Kidney Foundation)

Specifics

  • Understanding Hyperoxaluria (Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation)

Genetics

  • Cystinuria: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Hereditary xanthinuria: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Kidney stones: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Primary hyperoxaluria: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

  • Kidney stones Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Nephrolithiasis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Phenotypes and the Importance of Genetic Analysis in Adult Patients with...
  • Article: Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Nephrolithiasis: A Cohort Study.
  • Article: Early Detection and Monitoring of Nephrolithiasis: The Potential of Electrochemical Sensors.
  • Kidney Stones -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Kidneys and Urinary Tract (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Your Kidneys and How They Work From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health
  • National Kidney Foundation

Children

  • Blood in the Urine (Hematuria) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney Stones in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)
  • Kidney Stones in Children and Teens (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Ultrasound: Renal (Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

  • Kidney Stones (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

  • Kidney stones (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney stones - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Kidney stones and lithotripsy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Lithotripsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ureteroscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Kidney Stones

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Abdominal CT scan
  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Citric acid urine test
  • Cystinuria
  • Intravenous pyelogram
  • Kidney stones
  • Kidney stones
  • Kidney stones - self-care
  • Kidney stones - what to ask your doctor
  • Kidney stones and lithotripsy - discharge
  • Lithotripsy
  • Percutaneous kidney procedures
  • Percutaneous urinary procedures - discharge
  • RBC urine test
  • Ureteroscopy
  • Uric acid - blood
  • Uric acid urine test
  • Urine - bloody
  • Urine pH test

Related Health Topics

  • Kidney Diseases
  • Kidney Tests

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Kidney Stones is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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