The disease of kidney stones must be well known to many people, because there are so many people suffering from kidney stones nowadays. There are many causes of kidney stones, and if you want to understand this disease, the first step to do is to understand its causes. Kidney stones are more harmful to the human body and can cause a variety of symptoms. 1. Frequent and painful urination One of the warning signs that you may have kidney stones is a sudden and unexplained increase in the frequency and urgency of urination. Even if you are not drinking unusually large amounts of fluid, you may notice a strong need to urinate. However, you may find that when you go to the bathroom, you urinate very little because your body doesn’t actually have much urine to pass. When you do produce a normal amount of urine, you may find that peeing causes severe pain. This can happen if a kidney stone moves from the bladder to the urethra. When a kidney stone moves further, severe, burning pain occurs and you may also develop a urinary tract infection (UTI). That’s when you need to see a doctor; if you haven’t already, hurry up and make an appointment. 2. Spreading back pain A localized, indescribable pain that usually accompanies the early stages of kidney stones. Patients usually feel the pain starting in their sides and back, just below the rib cage where the kidney is located. As the condition progresses, the pain may move from the lower abdomen into your groin area and into your lower back, with fluctuating pain and general tenderness. These fluctuating pains can last from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the size and location of the kidney stone. Men with kidney stones may also find that the pain moves to the scrotum and testicles. Some symptoms of kidney stones may be similar to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially pain in the genital area and painful urination. If you develop these symptoms, it is important to get a prompt and correct diagnosis as soon as possible. 3. Hematuria In addition to frequent and painful urination, if you have kidney stones, you may notice changes in the color and consistency of your urine. Discoloration is a notable one of these changes, and the color of your urine may vary from pink or red to light or dark brown, rather than clear or yellow. As kidney stones increase and your urethra becomes blocked, you may also begin to notice small amounts of blood in your urine, a condition known as hematuria. When kidney stones become lodged in your urethra, blood enters your urine and rubs against your ureters or kidneys. This sounds painful, and that’s because it can cause severe pain or mild discomfort. The level of pain is a good indicator of the size of a kidney stone. Larger stones can cause severe pain, while smaller stones can cause mild discomfort.