Kidney Stones - When To Call a Doctor
Call a doctor immediately if you have symptoms that suggest you have a kidney stone, such as:
- Severe pain in your side, abdomen, groin, or genitals. It may get worse in waves.
- Blood in your urine.
- Signs of a urinary tract infection.
Call your doctor if you have been diagnosed with a kidney stone and have another problem, such as:
Understanding Kidney Stones -- the Basics
Kidney stones are created when certain substances in urine -- including calcium, oxalate, and sometimes uric acid -- crystallize. These minerals and salts form crystals, which can then join together and form a kidney stone. Kidney stones usually form within the kidney, where urine collects before flowing into the ureter, the tube that leads to the bladder. Small kidney stones are able to pass out of the body in the urine -- and may go completely unnoticed by you. But larger stones irritate...
Read the Understanding Kidney Stones -- the Basics article > >
- Severe nausea or vomiting.
- Fever and chills.
- Severe pain in your side in the area of your kidney (flank pain).
Call your doctor to find out if you need an exam when you:
- Have been diagnosed with a kidney stone, and you need a stronger pain medicine.
- Pass a stone, even if there was little or no pain. Save the stone, and ask your doctor whether it should be tested.
Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If you get better on your own, you won't need medical treatment. If you get worse, you and your doctor will decide what to do next.
If you are passing a kidney stone under your doctor's advice, you may be able to pass the stone without medical treatment if you:
- Can control your pain with medicine.
- Know how to look for and collect kidney stones you pass.
- Do not have signs of infection, such as fever and chills.
- Are able to drink plenty of fluids.
- Do not have severe nausea or vomiting.
Who to see
If you need immediate help because of pain from kidney stones, you may see an emergency medicine specialist.
Health professionals who can diagnose and treat nonurgent kidney stones include:
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
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