If you woke up last night with severe pain in your back, sides or abdomen, you may have kidney stones. Or, the symptoms may point to a much more serious condition such as appendicitis. Whatever the cause of your pain, you should see your medical care professional immediately to get an accurate diagnosis and set up a treatment plan.
Kidney stone symptoms can include any or all of the following, varying in severity from minor discomfort to incapacitating pain:
- Dull pain in the vicinity of the lower ribs.
- Chronic back pain with no known underlying cause.
- Intense pain in the back and sides, sometimes extending into the groin.
- Swollen testicles (in men, of course).
- Queasiness, nausea and vomiting.
Kidney stones result when solids precipitate from your urine inside your kidneys, rather than staying in solution and being passed completely from your body. Calcium oxalate comprises the most common types of kidney stones. It is possible to dissolve kidney stones in mild acids, so theoretically you can dissolve your kidney stones, or reduce their size so that they can pass easily, by elevating the acidity of your urine.
Many kidney stones will pass spontaneously, especially if you drink large volumes of water over an extended time period. The process may be enhanced using a home kidney stone remedy, but, in the case of very large stones, surgical procedures are sometimes necessary.
Ongoing research sometimes give conflicting results on questions concerning dietary factors in kidney stone formation. To drink caffeine or not to drink caffeine — that is one of the unresolved questions. It is clear, however, that chronic dehydration is a signficant cause of recurring kidney stones, so your best line of defense in warding off renewed attacks is to drink lots and lots of water every day. Some experts recommend one half ounce of water per day for every pound of your body weight (so, a two hundred pound person would drink 100 ounces per day, or over twelve cups).