are kidney stones always painful
How Painful Are They? Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract affecting more than 5% of the population. Fortunately, most pass without intervention. They can range in size small enough to easily pass without detection to large enough to block the passage of urination. KIDNEY STONE SYMPTOMS. 1  Pain — Pain is the most common symptom when passing a kidney stone. 2  Blood in the urine — Most people with kidney stones will have blood in the urine (hematuria). 3  Gravel — You may pass gravel or sand, which are small stones in your urine. Kidney stones are not always painful. More Info: The size of the stone will dictate the pain involved in passing it. Some kidney stones will form and simply pass without ever being noticed. But it should be noted that the condition is considered “one of the most painful of the urologic disorders” . Pain — Pain is the most common symptom when passing a kidney stone. Most commonly, pain only occurs with obstruction, in which the urine cannot pass freely from the kidney to the bladder. Pain can range from a mild and barely noticeable ache to discomfort that is so intense it requires treatment in the hospital. A Intermountain Healthcare answered. A kidney stone forms if chemicals concentrated in your urine form a crystal in your kidney, and the crystal grows over time. It's not always clear why this happens. A stone isn't usually painful while it's still in your kidney. When the stone leaves your kidney, it travels down your ureter so it can leave your body. KIDNEY STONE SYMPTOMS. 1  Pain — Pain is the most common symptom when passing a kidney stone. Most commonly, pain only occurs with obstruction, in which the urine cannot pass freely from the kidney to the bladder. 2  Blood in the urine — Most people with kidney stones will have blood in the urine (hematuria). What about kidney stones that aren’t passing? Most doctors feel that kidney stones only cause pain if they are blocking the ureter and trying to pass down towards the bladder. Stones that are not obstructing, such as those located in the kidney’s calyxes, are generally thought to be non-painful. There are four main types of stones: 1  Calcium oxalate: The most common type of kidney stone which is created when calcium combines with oxalate in the urine. 2  Uric acid: This is another common type of kidney stone. 3  Struvite: These stones are less common and are caused by infections in the upper urinary tract. Small and Painful. Most kidney stones can be treated without surgery and may cause pain as they pass through the urethra. Traditional methods to assist a kidney stone in passing involve drinking large amounts of water to flush out your system. After it is formed, the stone may stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract into the ureter. Sometimes, tiny stones move out of the body in the urine without causing too much pain. But stones that don't move may cause a back-up of urine in the kidney, ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. This is what causes the pain. Possible causes include drinking too little water, exercise (too much or too little), obesity, weight loss surgery, or eating food with too much salt or sugar.
No,it is not always painful.