Kidneys filter blood by eliminating excess water and waste to generate urine Urine flows from each kidney into the bladder through a tube called the ureter, then thrown waste out of the body via the urethra after the bladder is full.

Many waste elements dissolve in urine, and these chemicals can occasionally form microscopic crystals in the urine that clump together to create a stone.

You can have kidney stones and not have any symptoms. Or the symptoms may not start until your kidney stone goes on the move.

A stone can move around within your kidney. It can also move into the tube that connects your kidney to your bladder. Symptoms can be mild or strong, and include:

• Pain in your side or back, just below the ribs (your doctor might refer to it as renal colic)
• Groin and lower abdominal pain
• Pain that comes and goes with varying severity
• Pain when you pee
• Going to the bathroom more often
• Pee that is cloudy, pink, red, or brown, or that odour
• Feeling the urge to pee.
• Fever and chills if you have an infection
• Nausea and vomiting
• Burning sensation when you pee
• Less urine when you do pee

Unknown Cause
In most situations, the cause of a stone's formation is unknown. The majority of stones are calcium-based, yet calcium and other chemical levels in the urine and blood are usually normal. Stones are more likely to form if your urine is concentrated. For example, if you indulge in heavy exercise or work or live in a warm climate where you lose more fluid as sweat and less as urine, you may be at risk.

Underlying Causes
A medical condition is a cause in a small proportion of cases. Some unusual illnesses can cause elevated quantities of substances in the body, such as calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and cystine. If the concentration of these compounds is high enough, they can combine to create stones.

Medicines
Certain medications might increase your risk of developing kidney stones. These include diuretics (water pills), several chemotherapy treatments used to treat cancer, and some HIV medications. However, many people take these medications without incident and never develop a kidney stone.
Visit your doctor if you feel that the medicine you are taking is causing your kidney stone. Do not stop taking your prescription without first consulting a doctor.

The following factors enhance your chances of having kidney stones:

Personal or family history: If you have a family history of kidney stones, you are more likely to have them as well. If you've already had one or more kidney stones, you're at a higher risk of acquiring another.

Dehydration: Lack of drinking water each day might raise your risk of developing kidney stones. People who live in hot, dry regions or who sweat a lot may be at a higher risk than others.

Certain diets: A high-protein, sodium (salt), and sugar diet may raise your risk of some forms of kidney stones. This is particularly the case with a high-sodium diet. Too much salt in your diet increases the quantity of calcium your kidneys must filter, increasing your risk of kidney stones significantly.

Obesity: A high BMI, a large waist size, and weight gain have all been associated with an increased risk of kidney stones.

Digestive diseases and surgery: Changes in the digestive tract, such as gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, or persistent diarrhoea, might affect calcium and water absorption, increasing the levels of stone-forming chemicals in your urine.

Other medical conditions: Renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism, and recurrent urinary tract infections are all risk factors for kidney stones.

Certain supplements and medications, Vitamin C, nutritional supplements, laxatives (when used excessively), calcium-based antacids, and some migraine or depression drugs can all increase your risk of kidney stones.

Knowing what type of kidney stone you have, assists in determining its cause and may provide information on how to lower your risk of developing more kidney stones. If at all possible, attempt to keep your kidney stone so that you may bring it to your doctor for analysis. Kidney stones are classified as follows:

Calcium stones

Struvite stones: Struvite stones develop as a result of a urinary tract infection. These stones can grow fast and become large, with minimal signs or warning.

Uric acid stones: People who lose too much fluid due to chronic diarrhoea or malabsorption, those who eat a high-protein diet, and those with diabetes or metabolic syndrome are at risk of developing uric acid stones. Certain genetic factors could also raise your risk of uric acid stones.

Cystine stones: These stones occur in persons who have cystinuria, a genetic condition in which the kidneys discharge an excessive amount of certain amino acids.

Treatment for kidney stones differs according to the type of stone and the cause.

Small stones with minimal symptoms
The majority of minor kidney stones do not require invasive treatment. You might be able to do it with a small stone:

Drinking water: Drinking 2 to 3 quarts (1.8 to 3.6 liters) of water per day will dilute your urine and may prevent stones from developing. Drink enough fluid — preferably primarily water — to create clear or almost clear urine, unless your doctor advises you differently.

Pain relievers: Passing a small stone might be difficult. Your doctor may suggest pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to ease minor discomfort.

Medical therapy: Your doctor will prescribe medicine to help you clear a kidney stone. This prescription, known as an alpha-blocker, relaxes the muscles in your ureter, allowing you to pass the kidney stone more quickly and painlessly.

Large stones that can’t pass and those that cause symptoms:
Kidney stones that are too large to pass on their own or that cause bleeding, kidney damage or reoccurring urinary tract infections may require more extensive treatment. Procedures may include the following:

Using sound waves to break up stones: Your doctor may prescribe extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for some kidney stones, depending on their size and location.

Surgery to remove very large stones in the kidney: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a surgical treatment that includes removing a kidney stone using small telescopes and equipment placed through a small incision in your back.
During the surgery, you will be anaesthetized and will stay in the hospital for one to two days to recover. If ESWL fails, your doctor may recommend this surgery.

Using a scope to remove stones: To remove a smaller stone in your ureter or kidney, your doctor may pass a thin lighted tube (ureteroscope) equipped with a camera through your urethra and bladder to your ureter.
Once the stone is located, special tools can snare the stone or break it into pieces that will pass in your urine. Your doctor may then place a small tube (stent) in the ureter to relieve swelling and promote healing. You may need general or local anaesthesia during this procedure.

Parathyroid gland surgery: Some calcium phosphate stones are produced by overactive parathyroid glands. Removing the growth from the gland stops kidney stones from developing. Alternatively, your doctor may advise you to treat the condition that is causing your parathyroid gland to overproduce the hormone.

Complications might occur as a result of treatment for a big kidney stone or as a result of keeping stones untreated. They may include the following:

• A blocked ureter
• Damage to the ureter
• Bleeding during surgery
• Pain
• A urinary tract infection
• Sepsis is an infection that spreads through your whole body.