Kidney stones can be extremely painful. Should you have been suffering from symptoms such as sudden pain in your back or side, frequent urination, and/or blood in your urine, your doctor needs to conduct a sequence of test to determine if you have kidney stones.
Being tested for kidney stones can be a daunting experience until you know what to expect. This blog takes you through the process of kidney stone testing step-by-step — what happens, why it is done, how to prepare, and what to expect during and after the testing.
Why Testing Is Important?
Kidney stones may be different in size, location, and type in each of the two kidneys. Some are so small they will pass through your urinary tract unnoticed, but others can be large and create a logjam at the head of a ureter, in which case they will need to be removed or broken into smaller pieces with surgery. Before starting treatment, your doctor will want as much information about:
- Stone size and location
- Number of stones
- Stone type (calcium, uric acid, cystine, etc.)
- Any known kidney or metabolic disease
Getting the diagnosis right leads to a choice to treat with medication, lifestyle changes or surgery if lifestyle changes aren’t helpful first.
Step 1: History and Physical Examination
After returning from one of these endemic areas, the patient presents with fever and symptoms of jaundice.
In most cases, the diagnosis begins with a comprehensive examination. Your doctor will ask:
- When did the pain start?
- Is the pain constant or does it wax and wane?
- Do you have a history of kidney stones?
- Do you have a family history of renal calculi?
- Do you have other symptoms such as nausea, a fever, or a burning sensation when you urinate?
You might then have a brief physical exam in which the doctor presses on your abdomen and lower back to see if there’s any tenderness or swelling.
Step 2: Urine Analysis
A urinalysis is frequently the first lab test that is ordered. You will be called upon to present a new clean catch urine sample, and the sample is tested for:
- Red blood cells (hematuria)
- Leukocytes (a sign of infection)
- Crystals (can indicate stone composition)
- acid or alkaline urine pH value
- OX, Ca, and UA concentrations
If your physician suspects recurrence of stones or infection, a 24-hour urine collection may be prescribed for evaluation of your body’s stone-forming potential.
Step 3: Blood Tests
Most blood sample tests look for high calcium, uric acid and/or creatinine levels that are suggesting a metabolic disorder or kidney function abnormalities. These markers will let us know if the kidney stone is a manifestation of some larger systemic thing we need to get after.
Step 4: Imaging Tests
Imaging has an unarguably important role to diagnose stones, their size and localisation. The imaging test that has been most frequently employed is:
Ultrasound (USG KUB)
- Non-invasive and radiation-free
- Frequently proposed as an initial imaging study
- Good for finding large stones in kidneys or bladder
- Can miss very small or ureteric stones.
Non-contrast CT Scan (CT KUB)
- Gold standard for kidney stone identification
- Highly accurate and detailed
- Identifies the smallest of stones in any part of the urinary system
- Useful in emergency situations
X-ray (KUB X-ray)
- Can detect calcium-containing stones
- Not useful for uric acid or cystine stones
- Frequently follow-up rather than initial dx.
Your physician will select the appropriate imaging based on your symptoms, risk factors, and previous medical history.
Step 5: (Passed) Stone Analysis
In the event you pass the stone spontaneously, your doctor might ask you to collect it so as to analyse it. This assists in determining the type of rock and influences future preventive directions. Stone analysis can reveal that your stone can be:
- Calcium oxalate
- Calcium phosphate
- Uric acid
- Struvite (infection stones)
- Cystine (low, hereditary disease)
What In Case The Tests Prove Kidney Stones?
After completing your tests, your urologist will look through the results and propose a treatment plan to you. it may contain:
Medical treatment (hydration, pain relive, and medication helping solve some of the stones)
Simple procedures not involving extensive incisions such as:
- URS (Ureteroscopy)
- RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery)
- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
- Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)
Depending on size, location, and quantity of stones, whether or not your kidneys are functioning well, and the state of your general health, you will be treated.
The Way You Can Prepare for These Tests
- Unless your physician tells otherwise, consume a lot of water.
- Inform the physician whether you are on any drugs/medications, especially the blood-thinning ones.
- It is paramount to note instructions when the urine is collected during 24-hours in a container which keeps the urine sample in the right way.
- Wear loose clothing and make preparations to talk about your symptoms.
Conclusion
Early diagnosis of kidney stones is significant since it is connected with the success of the treatment, and it does not lead to complications. Warnings should not be ignored such as back pain, urination difficulty, or even seeing blood in your urine.
Provided that your place of residence is Gurgaon or Delhi NCR and you are in need of specialized care, then you could count Dr. Deepanshu Gupta as one of the best kidney stone specialists. Dr Deepanshu has done > 12,000 endoscopic urological procedures and with more than 15 years of experience. He offers state of the art, specialized and cost effective urologic services to his patients. You will be treated with the highest professionalism since diagnosis to recovery.
Just go up, and schedule an appointment with Dr. Deepanshu Gupta, and assist yourself in living a stone-free life.