Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. They can affect any part of the urinary tract, from the kidneys to the bladder, and can cause severe pain when they pass. There are 4 types of kidney stones: Calcium stones (most common- calcium oxalate) , Struvite stones (secondary to UTI), Uric acid stones (typically in patients with gout or elevated uric acid levels), Cystine stones (rare, hereditary). Symptoms of UTI are severe pain (renal colic) in the back, side, lower abdomen, or groin. Pain during urination, blood in urine (hematuria), nausea and vomiting, Frequent urination or urgent need to urinate, fever and chills (if concurrent infection is present). Correctable causes include dehydration, diet rich in oxalate (like spinach), sodium-rich diet. If you believe you have symptoms of kidney stones it is important to get checked out by your physician. They are typically diagnosed by CT Scan (best), or Xrays (if large enough stones) and Kidney Ultrasound. In some cases your physician can order medications (e.g. Flomax) that helps passage of stones from ureteral tract. A Urology referral maybe necessary in many cases and sometimes certain procedures maybe necessary to get rid of the stones and symptoms. Once you are diagnosed with kidney stones it is absolutely crucial to hydrate well (target goal is to produce over 2 L of urine per day) equating to about a gallon of water intake per day. Depending on the type of kidney stone there are several medications such as Thiazide diuretic, Potassium citrate, or Allopurinol that maybe prescribed to prevent recurrence. Drinking lime juice (containing citric acid) is believed to help with risk of calcium oxalate stones.