Kidney stones are often discovered while receiving medical attention for
another condition, something like a urinary tract infection or blood in the
urine. The most often reported symptom is intense pain that comes on as a
sharp, cramping pain in the back and side area of the kidney. As the stone
makes its way down toward the bladder, the pain may extend to the groin and
other symptoms may show up, including any or all of the following:
·
Nausea
·
Vomiting
·
Burning sensation during urination
·
Blood in the urine
·
Cloudy and/or smelly urine
·
Constant feeling of needing to urinate
How Kidney Stones are Diagnosed
When doctor suspects there may be stones, he will probably do a blood test
and a urine test. The blood test will be looking for uric acid or excess
calcium, and the urine test will check to see if you are excreting too many of
the minerals that cause the stones. The diagnosis may be
confirmed with one or more of the following imaging tests:
X-ray: In this test,
pictures are taken with photons of X-ray light. The use of X-radiation can
go through human skin tissue but is stopped by dense bones.
Intravenous pyelogrophy:
Stones that don’t show up on a regular X-ray will show up here. A dye is
injected into a vein and moves through the areas where a stone may be
present. They dye highlights those areas and a series of X-rays are taken.
Spiral
CT scan: This test
also finds stones that don’t show up on a regular X-ray. No dye is needed,
and the entire abdomen can be scanned in approximately three minutes. This
makes it much easier on the patient whose body rejects the dye, and the
patient who is in a lot of pain.
Ultrasound (sonogram):
This is a painless and noninvasive test, but does not always catch small
stones. An ultrasound machine uses computer processing and high-frequency
radio waves to look at your internal organs.