How do I know if I have kidney stones?...

Symptoms of kidney stones can include:

• acute flank pain (renal colic)
   
• nausea and vomiting
   
• restlessness
   
• dull pain
• hematuria (blood in the urine)
• possibly fever if infection is present.
   

Acute renal colic is described as one of the worst types of pain that a patient can suffer. The pain is generally due to the stone's presence in the ureter, and not—as is commonly believed—the urethra and lower genitals.

Some patients have no symptoms until their urine turns bloody—this may be the first symptom of a kidney stone. The amount of blood may not be sufficient to be seen, and thus the first warning can be when red blood cells are found in the microscopic study of a urine sample, during a routine medical test.