Symptoms of kidney stones
- Severe, sudden pain from the loin to the groin
- Feeling sick and possibly vomiting
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Burning sensation when urinating
When is hospital treatment necessary?
If a stone is less than 4mm (or 0.2ins), it is considered to be small enough to be passed out of the body via urine without any intervention. You may be given medication to help with the pain and possibly anti-emetics, if you have strong feelings of nausea. Although many people manage well with this approach, others need more urgent, hospital treatment for stones. This may be the case if:
- There is a sudden increase in severity of pain
- You are being repeatedly sick and unable to keep down medication
- Your symptoms do not improve after taking medication
- If you develop a fever
- If your kidneys have signs of damage
- If you have a single kidney
- If you’ve had a kidney transplant