Kidney stones do not usually cause permanent damage if recognized early and treated appropriately.

Calcium oxalate stones can form in slightly acidic, neutral, or even slightly alkaline urine.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Some kidney stones are as small as a grain of sand.

Close-up detail of a kidney stone (renal calculi)

Javier Fernandez Sanchez / Getty Images

Others can be as large as a pebble or even bigger.

As a general rule, the larger the stone, the more noticeable the symptoms.

A kidney stone will not cause any symptoms until itbegins to pass through the urinary tract.

Dehydrationis a major contributing factor to all types of kidney stones.

Diet can also play a part, including the high intake of animal proteins,sodium, and sugars.

Others are triggered by genetic conditions passed from parent to child.Diabetesandobesitycan also contribute.

With that said, kidney stones often have no single, definable cause.

Treatment

The treatment of a kidney stone varies by its size and the underlying cause.

This often includes:

Severalhome remediescan help prevent kidney stone formation.

These include drinking dilutedlemon juiceorapple cider vinegar, which contain citrate, an inhibitor of stone formation.

Larger Stones

More aggressive treatments may be needed for larger kidney stones.

Kidney stones typically cause pain in the side and back, which can be excruciating and come in waves.

Even so, there are medical conditions that can place even the healthiest person at risk.

Manish KC, Leslie SW.Uric acid nephrolithiasis.

In:StatPearlsl [Internet].StatPearls Publishing;2021.

Nojaba L, Guzman N.Nephrolithiasis.

In:StatPearls [Internet].StatPearls Publishing;2021.