Kidney stones (renal lithiasis, nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys.
Kidney stones have many causes and can affect any part of your urinary tract — from your kidneys to your bladder. Often, stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together.

Kidney stones

Passing kidney stones can be quite painful, but the stones usually cause no permanent damage if they're recognized in a timely fashion. Depending on your situation, you may need nothing more than to take pain medication and drink lots of water to pass a kidney stone. In other instances — for example, if stones become lodged in the urinary tract, are associated with a urinary infection or cause complications — surgery may be needed.

Female urinary system

Symptoms

A kidney stone may not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter — the tube connecting the kidney and bladder. At that point, you may experience these signs and symptoms:

• 1. Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs
• 2. Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin
• 3. Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity
• 4. Pain on urination
• 5. Pink, red or brown urine
• 6. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• 7. Nausea and vomiting
• 8. Persistent need to urinate
• 9. Urinating more often than usual
• 10. Fever and chills if an infection is present
• 11. Urinating small amounts

Male urinary system