How to know if it's kidney stone (what tests to do)

Usually the presence of kidney stones causes seizures with symptoms of severe pain in the lower back, radiating to the foot of the belly and genital region, pain when urinating, blood in the urine and, in the most severe cases, fever and vomiting. See the other most common symptoms of kidney stone.

If you think you may have a kidney stone attack, select your symptoms to find out what your chances are:

1. Severe pain in the lower back, which can limit movement Yes No
2. Pain radiating from the back to the groin Yes No
3. Pain when urinating Yes No
4. Pink, red or brown urine Yes No
5. Frequent desire to urinate Yes No
6. Feeling sick or vomiting Yes No
7. Fever above 38º C Yes No

However, to confirm the presence of kidney stones, a clinical assessment of symptoms should be made with the family doctor or urologist and additional tests such as ultrasound, blood and urine tests.

Tests for kidney stone

In addition to identifying the symptoms, to confirm the diagnosis, one or more of the tests shown below must be performed:

1. Blood test

It is used to assess whether the kidneys are functioning properly from parameters such as uric acid, calcium, urea and creatinine. Altered values of these substances can indicate problems with the kidneys or other organs of the body, and the cause of the changes should be evaluated by the doctor.

Learn about the main blood test changes and what they mean.

2. Urine test

The urine must be collected for 24 hours to assess whether the body is eliminating many substances that favor the formation of stones, if there are microorganisms causing infections or if there are small pieces of stones. See how urine collection should be.

3. Ultrasound of the kidneys

In addition to identifying the presence of stones, it can identify the number and size of stones, and whether there is inflammation in any organ of the body.

4. Computed Tomography

This examination records several photographs of the body at different angles, facilitating the differentiation and identification of the stones, even if they are present in a very small size.

How to identify the type of stone

The type can be determined mainly from the evaluation of an expelled stone. So, during a crisis, one must be careful to see if any stones are eliminated along with the urine, and take them to the doctor to have them analyzed, as the treatment to prevent the formation of new stones varies according to each type.

See how the food should be according to each type and what other options to treat the kidney stone.