Kidney Stone Symptoms for Women

Are there unique kidney stone symptoms for women? How do kidney stones form and are they detrimental to our bodies? How do they form and can they be prevented? Kidney stones can occur in men and women and will affect everyone differently.

What is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone (Nephrolithiasis) is not actually a rock but is made of a substance that creates a particle that is extremely hard, like a rock, and is found in the kidney. It is constructed of a crystalline mineral which is formed either within the urinary tract or in the kidney. Kidney stones may form and will never affect us; however, when the stone grows to a certain size and/or is located in a sensitive spot it can cause issues.

How are the stones formed?

The stones are formed from substances found within the urine and will typically form when urine volume is low or the substance they are made from is high. Dehydration, certain medications, heredity and even your diet can be causes of stones forming. These can be considered a preempt to kidney stone symptoms for women that women should take notice of. Although most kidney stones will pass unnoticed, there are stones that can cause excruciating pain.

Although men are more susceptible to developing kidney stones than women, women will still develop these unique stones at least once within their lifetime. Stones generally begin forming between the ages of 20 and 50 and once you have had one stone, that individual is more likely to experience another. This is something you don’t want to hear, but it is important to know as a preventative measure.

Kidney stone symptoms for women

Before the kidney stone symptoms for women are listed, it is important to restate that not all stones will cause any symptoms or at least the symptoms will be very mild and be quickly dismissed. In addition, not all of the symptoms will be experienced so it is important to know what the symptoms are.

One of the most common is pain. Pain can be that of cramping and excruciating which can be felt in the lower back, in the side, abdomen and even in the groin areas. The pain can be constant or come in waves. The pain can be so intense that the sufferer may experience nausea and vomiting too.

Other than pain, another common sign is blood in the urine. There may or may not be other symptoms occurring at the same time which could possibly lead you to think there may be something else wrong. An infection can also exist at the same time and make matters worse. Blood in the urine is a sign that something is wrong must not be swept under the rug.  You may think that perhaps you are dealing with a UTI and if misdiagnosed, the condition will quickly worsen and make matters worse.

Kidney stones can cause pain that you cannot compare to any other type of pain you may experience. Living right and eating healthy is important but so is knowing the kidney stone symptoms for women to keep your health on track.