There are several signs that can indicate one 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 find it painful. Urine may come out darker colored than normal, or there may be blood in the urine. Sometimes the stone may lead to a urinary tract infection as well.
For some people, there is no sign that they have a kidney stone in the bladder. This is fairly common if the stone is very small, though it may even occur with larger stones. It may pass unnoticed from the kidney to the bladder and be passed from the body without the person ever knowing it was there.
A kidney stone in the bladder can cause pain, typically located in the lower part of the abdomen. This is different from the pain that occurs as the stone moves from the kidneys through the ureter to the bladder; that pain, known as renal colic, is typically very sharp, comes in waves, and is felt in the area between the rib cage and the hip. In some cases, when the stone finally moves out of the ureter to the bladder, pain will actually decrease significantly or go away completely.
Urination may be affected by a kidney stone in the bladder. Some patients may feel the need to urinate more often, particularly at night. They may have trouble urinating if the stone is blocking passage of the liquid, or it may be painful to do so. In some cases, people may have problems with incontinence and urine will leak out without them being able to control it.
Another sign of a kidney stone in the bladder is a change in the appearance of one's urine. In some people, the urine may become discolored, appearing darker than normal. If the stone is large, hard, or jagged and therefore irritates or scratches the inside of the bladder, one may also notice blood in his or her urine.
When the flow of urine is blocked by a kidney stone in the bladder, infection can set in. These patients will typically show common signs of infection such as fever, chills, or sweating. They may also notice additional pain and swelling in their abdomen.