Common Symptoms Of Kidney Stones & How To Prevent It

Symptoms of kidney stones include painful urination and blood in the urine. If you experience these symptoms, you may have kidney stones.

It's one of the most common conditions in the United States, but they're often misunderstood. Many people assume they're painful, but many people with kidney stones don't even know they have them.

This article will walk you through what kidney stones are and how to prevent them.

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What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are small, hard deposits that form in the kidneys. They can be made up of calcium oxalate or cystine (an amino acid). The stones may also contain uric acid, phosphates and other compounds. Kidney stones often form when these substances combine with water to create an insoluble crystal.

kidney stones are insoluble crystals. (Image via Pexels / Kindel Media)

The two most common types of kidney stones are calcium oxalate and uric acid; they account for more than 90 percent of all cases. Struvite (made up essentially entirely of magnesium phosphate) accounts for about 5 percent of cases; cystine is another rare type but tends to be associated with hereditary diseases like cystinuria, which affects how your kidneys filter waste products from your bloodstream.

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Kidney stone symptoms in women

Women are more likely to have kidney stones than men. The reason for this is that women tend to be smaller, and smaller people generally have a higher risk of developing kidney stones.

Women are also more likely to experience pain with their kidney stones, which can make them more aware of the issue than men who may experience no pain at all.

Nausea and vomiting are the common symptoms of kidney stones. (Image via Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio)

Kidney stone symptoms in women include:

• Pain or burning when urinating
• Blood in your urine (hematuria)
• Nausea and vomiting

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Kidney Stone Symptoms in Men

The most common symptoms of kidney stones are :

• Pain or a burning sensation in the back or side.
• Blood in your urine is also a sign of kidney stones, as well as nausea and vomiting.
• Extreme thirst is another symptom to watch out for because it could be caused by dehydration due to urinating so much or not drinking enough fluids throughout the day (or both).
• If you're experiencing an urge to urinate frequently but only small amounts at a time, this can also indicate that you have kidney stones.

The urge to pee frequently is the common symptoms of kidney stones in men. (Image via Pexels / Jeshootscom)

Men who experience these symptoms may notice that they feel better when they go home after work rather than staying at work all day long; this could mean that something is going on with their kidneys.

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How To Prevent Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Keep yourself hydrated to avoid kidney stones. (Image via Unsplash / Sasun Bughdaryan)

• Keeping yourself hydrated is one of the most important factors that can help avoid kidney stones.
• In order to prevent kidney stones, you should increase the amount of water soluble vitamins you consume. These vitamins include vitamin C and the B complex group of vitamins.
• Avoid foods that are high in oxalate (a compound found in many foods). Foods that contain high levels of oxalates include spinach, rhubarb and nuts.
• Avoid foods that are high in salt or purines (two amino acids found in certain meats). These include beer, mushrooms, liver and other organ meats like brains or tripe.

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Symptoms of kidney stones can be painful and cause burning sensations, blood in the urine, nausea, and vomiting. Other symptoms include extreme thirst or frequent urination.

If you experience any of these symptoms of kidney stones while going to the bathroom, it's important to see a doctor immediately so they can diagnose what's wrong with you and help treat it as soon as possible.