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Kidney stones: the signs, when it is an emergency, passing a stone, and preventing the next one
For any adult with sharp pain in the back, side, lower belly or groin, pain that comes and goes in waves, or pink, red or brown urine. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says a kidney stone is a hard, pebble-like piece of material that forms in the kidneys, that a small one may pass on its own, and that one that gets stuck can block the flow of urine and cause severe pain or bleeding. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs, when to get care, the four types and who gets them, the tests, passing a stone and the ways a urologist removes one, and liquids, food and medicines to prevent the next. It builds the words to say at a clinic, and prints a card for the visit.
A word with a dotted line under it, like this, opens its official definition, quoted from a U.S. government glossary.
Right now
- Fever or chills with the pain, not being able to pee (or only a little), or throwing up so you cannot keep liquids down: go to the emergency room now, and do not drive yourself (ours). NIDDK says stones that block the urinary tract or cause great pain may need urgent treatment.
- The person is confused, very hard to wake, fainting, or seems very sick, or has chest pain: call 911 (ours). See also our page on sepsis.
- Sharp pain in your back, side, lower belly or groin, or pink, red or brown urine: NIDDK says to see a health care professional right away. If you are pregnant, call today (ours).
More help
- Related: Bladder infection (UTI) in adults · When it’s your kidneys · Sepsis · An upset stomach, heartburn or constipation: find the right page · Pregnancy and a new baby.
- A child: Kidney Stones in Children (NIDDK) · A baby or child: find the right page.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When medicine costs too much · My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
Kidneys, bladder or urine, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for bladder infections, kidney stones, bladder leaks, kidney disease and bedwetting, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 15, 2026 on NIDDK’s Kidney Stones pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed May 2017), and the overview of Kidney Stones in Children. Ours: going to the emergency room now for fever or chills with the pain, not being able to pee, or vomiting with no liquids kept down; not driving yourself; calling 911 when the person is confused, very hard to wake, fainting or seems very sick, or for chest pain; asking, if sent home, which signs mean come back and which pain medicine is safe for you; saying if you are or could be pregnant before any x-ray, CT scan or medicine; asking which type your stone was and keeping the answer; not stopping a prescribed medicine on your own; that it is not your fault; asking about the cost; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the medicine names NIDDK gives, doses and numbers of days or weeks, NIDDK’s percentages, and clinical pages for providers. This page is about adults. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.