Kidney stones patient guide

Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys when urine becomes concentrated, allowing crystals to stick together. They range in size from tiny grains to stones large enough to block the urinary tract.

Common causes include not drinking enough fluids, a diet high in salt or animal protein, obesity, certain metabolic conditions, and a family history of stones. Some medications and underlying conditions affecting calcium or uric acid metabolism can also increase risk.

Symptoms include sudden, severe pain in the back or side that may radiate to the groin, blood in the urine, nausea, and a frequent urge to urinate. Small stones may pass without any symptoms at all.

Most kidney stones are painful but not life-threatening, though a stone that blocks urine flow can cause infection or kidney damage if not treated. Severe pain, fever, or inability to pass urine needs urgent medical attention.

Yes, there is a genetic tendency towards kidney stones, and having a close relative with stones increases your own risk. Certain rare inherited metabolic conditions can also predispose to recurrent stone formation.

Drinking plenty of water, reducing salt intake, moderating animal protein, and maintaining a healthy weight all help reduce the risk of forming new stones. Your doctor may also recommend specific dietary or medical measures based on the type of stone you've had analysed.

Small stones often pass naturally with hydration and pain relief, while larger or stuck stones may need procedures such as shockwave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, or surgical removal. Treatment choice depends on stone size, location and symptoms.

Small stones can pass within a few days to a couple of weeks, while larger stones may take longer or require intervention if they don't move on their own. Your doctor may recommend monitoring with imaging if a stone doesn't pass within an expected timeframe.

Kidney stones cause sudden, severe, colicky pain often with blood in the urine but typically without fever, unless infection complicates the picture, whereas urinary tract infections cause burning, frequency and sometimes fever without the classic wave-like pain of a stone. The two can occur together and both need assessment.

Severe pain, fever, or an inability to pass urine needs urgent same-day assessment. For ongoing stone management or recurrent stones, private urology consultations can typically be arranged within about two weeks, much sooner than standard NHS routine referral waits.