What makes kidney stones so painful?

Question

What makes kidney stones so painful?

In: 13

Answer 1

They are generally buildups of calcium and other hard minerals. These types of aggregated stones tend to form in little hard spikes around a central core. So you’ve got a sharp object traveling down a narrow tube of flesh that usually only sees liquid. This in itself is painful. It’s also blocking the flow of the liquids that usually flow in that passage, so they’re backing up behind it, applying pressure to already inflamed tissue. Also, as the stone passes and aggravates the tissue, this causes it to swell, clamping down on the sharp object and further backing up the works. So you’re shoving a sharp little ball of spikes down a tube of flesh that has basically no resistance to damage then pressurizing the passage behind it.

Answer 2

They are generally buildups of calcium and other hard minerals. These types of aggregated stones tend to form in little hard spikes around a central core. So you’ve got a sharp object traveling down a narrow tube of flesh that usually only sees liquid. This in itself is painful. It’s also blocking the flow of the liquids that usually flow in that passage, so they’re backing up behind it, applying pressure to already inflamed tissue. Also, as the stone passes and aggravates the tissue, this causes it to swell, clamping down on the sharp object and further backing up the works. So you’re shoving a sharp little ball of spikes down a tube of flesh that has basically no resistance to damage then pressurizing the passage behind it.