Kidney stones next to a ruler to show the size.
There are several signs that can indicate that a person has a kidney stone in the bladder, although in some cases there may be no symptoms at all. Patients may experience discomfort or pain in the lower abdomen. They may feel the need to urinate frequently, have difficulty urinating, or experience pain. The urine may come out a darker color than normal, or there may be blood in the urine. Sometimes the stone can also cause a urinary tract infection.
A kidney stone before it passes into the bladder.
For some people, there are no signs that they have a kidney stone in their bladder. This is quite common if the stone is very small, although it can even occur with larger stones. It can go unnoticed from the kidney to the bladder and out of the body without the person knowing it was there.
A kidney stone in the bladder can cause pain, usually located in the lower abdomen. This is different from the pain that occurs when the stone moves from the kidneys, through the ureter, to the bladder; This pain, known as renal colic, is usually very sharp, comes in waves, and is felt in the area between the rib cage and the hip. In some cases, when the stone eventually passes out of the ureter into the bladder, the pain is significantly lessened or completely gone.
A cutaway of a female body showing the bladder in dark pink.
Urination can be affected by a kidney stone in the bladder. Some patients may feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night. They may have trouble urinating if the stone blocks the passage of fluid, or it may be painful to do so. In some cases, people may have incontinence problems and leak urine without being able to control it.
Pain in the lower abdominal area can be a sign of a kidney stone in the bladder.
Another sign of a kidney stone in the bladder is a change in the appearance of the urine. In some people, the urine may change color and appear darker than normal. If the stone is large, hard, or irregular and therefore irritates or scratches the inside of the bladder, there may also be blood in the urine.
When the flow of urine is blocked by a kidney stone in the bladder, an infection can develop. These patients often have common signs of infection, such as fever, chills, or sweats. They may also notice additional pain and swelling in the abdomen.
