4 Important Questions About Kidney Stones

October 28, 2025

2 min read

If left untreated, a kidney stone can grow to the size of a tennis ball, but it will begin to cause serious discomfort much sooner than that. How can you avoid them?

Key takeaways

If left untreated, a kidney stone can grow to the size of a tennis ball, but it will begin to cause serious discomfort much sooner than that.
How do stones appear?
Who is at risk?

Who this is for

People exploring Kidney through kidney, general urine test.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Alex

Urologist

How do stones appear?

Kidney stones also referred to as urolithiasis, take years to form. Initially, the "sand" is formed due to a lack of fluid, and then each grain of sand attracts related chemical elements. These are mostly mineral salts including calcinates, oxalates, urates, cystines, xanthines, and phosphates.

Related elements are attracted, and a grain of sand that would normally leave the body begins to grow and can clog the urinary tract, cause colic, or reach a size that requires surgery.

Who is at risk?

In 90 % of cases, a person's lifestyle is to blame. The most common causes include too little water, too much salt or sugar in the diet, sedentary lifestyle, diets high in protein foods, and hereditary predisposition. The stone formation may also be provoked by illnesses, most often pyelonephritis, high blood pressure, obesity, prostate adenoma, kidney cysts, or diabetes.

What should be alarming?

In the initial stage, there are no symptoms of urolithiasis. Unpleasant sensations arise when the body tries to get rid of a foreign body, and stones get into the urinary system. This can occur in the ureters, bladder, or urethra.

Obstruction leads to urine accumulation and inflammation as well as some typical symptoms:

Renal cramps — sharp, severe pain on both sides in the lower back
Cramp-like pain in the lower abdomen
Frequent and unproductive urges to urinate
Pain when urinating
Traces of blood in the urine
Sand in the urine
Cloudy, dark urine with a putrid odor

When is it time to see a doctor?

You should visit a specialist if you experience any of the above symptoms. Don’t just think that these symptoms will go away on their own. If the pain has arisen it means that the stone has already begun to move, and any second your condition can become critical. Kidney stone symptoms can also be confused with acute appendicitis, gastric ulcer rupture, bowel obstruction, or ectopic pregnancy. All of these conditions are life-threatening and require immediate surgery, which is why it is so important to seek medical help immediately.

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