{"id":657,"date":"2025-04-17T08:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T08:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/?p=657"},"modified":"2025-04-16T20:09:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T20:09:27","slug":"kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/","title":{"rendered":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why That Pain Isn\u2019t Always What You Think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Kidney Pain Isn\u2019t a Stone<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve had sudden, sharp pain in your side or back, you might assume it\u2019s a kidney stone. That\u2019s what most people \u2014 and even some providers \u2014 think first. But what if that pain keeps coming back? Or the scans don\u2019t show a stone at all? In many cases, the issue is something else entirely \u2014 a <strong>kidney blockage<\/strong>. Understanding the difference between <strong>kidney blockage vs kidney stones<\/strong> can help you get the right treatment before lasting damage occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kidney stones are hard mineral buildups that form inside your kidneys. When they move, they can cause intense pain, blood in the urine, or difficulty urinating. Once the stone passes or is removed, symptoms usually stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A kidney blockage, on the other hand, often doesn\u2019t go away on its own. It can be caused by scar tissue, a narrowed ureter, or even a tumor pressing on the urinary tract. Over time, this can cause the kidney to swell \u2014 a condition called hydronephrosis \u2014 and slowly lose function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Difference Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pain isn\u2019t the only issue. While kidney stones are painful, they don\u2019t usually cause lasting damage if treated. But a kidney blockage can silently wear down the kidney, especially if it\u2019s misdiagnosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s where the confusion happens: Both can cause similar symptoms, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Flank or back pain<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nausea or vomiting<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changes in urine flow<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blood in the urine<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is how the symptoms behave. If pain keeps returning, or scans don\u2019t show a stone, your doctor should consider a possible obstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Kidney Blockages Are Diagnosed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If a stone isn\u2019t found, interventional and urologic teams may order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A renal ultrasound to check for swelling<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A nuclear medicine renal scan to assess kidney function<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A CT urogram or MRI to look for structural issues<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These tests help determine if one of your kidneys is draining properly or if urine is backing up due to a blockage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Minimally Invasive Way to Fix Kidney Blockage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If a blockage is confirmed, a common treatment is nephrostomy or ureteral stenting, both done by interventional radiologists. These image-guided procedures allow urine to flow again \u2014 relieving pressure and preserving kidney function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the cause, additional treatment like balloon dilation or surgery may be recommended \u2014 but restoring urine flow is the first and most important step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK563165\/\">Learn more about nephrostomy tubes from the NIH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to Ask About Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask your doctor to consider a blockage if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep having kidney pain but no stone is found<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Were told you had a \u201cstone\u201d that never passed<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have ongoing hydronephrosis on imaging<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experience a drop in kidney function<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The earlier a blockage is found, the more kidney tissue can be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Deserve Clarity and Relief<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many patients are told to \u201cjust wait for the stone to pass\u201d \u2014 even when that stone doesn\u2019t exist. If your symptoms don\u2019t add up or just won\u2019t stop, it\u2019s time to get a clear diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how interventional imaging and treatment can help protect your kidneys \u2014 and find more patient-first resources <a href=\"http:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/blogs\/\">here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why That Pain Isn\u2019t Always What You Think When Kidney Pain Isn\u2019t a Stone If you&#8217;ve had sudden, sharp pain in your side or back, you might assume it\u2019s a kidney stone. That\u2019s what most people \u2014 and even some providers \u2014 think first. But what if that pain keeps coming back? Or the scans [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doctorize Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anastasia Price\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anastasia Price\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anastasia Price\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b\"},\"headline\":\"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones:\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\"},\"wordCount\":550,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\",\"name\":\"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b\"},\"description\":\"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones:\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/\",\"name\":\"Doctorize Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b\",\"name\":\"Anastasia Price\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Anastasia Price\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/author\/anastasia-price\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog","description":"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog","og_description":"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.","og_url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/","og_site_name":"Doctorize Blog","article_published_time":"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Anastasia Price","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anastasia Price","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/"},"author":{"name":"Anastasia Price","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b"},"headline":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones:","datePublished":"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/"},"wordCount":550,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg","articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/","url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/","name":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones: - Doctorize Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-17T08:02:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b"},"description":"Kidney blockage vs kidney stones \u2014 what\u2019s the difference? Learn the signs, when to ask for imaging, and how interventional care can help.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/kidney-blockage-vs-kidney-stones\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Kidney Blockage vs Kidney Stones:"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#website","url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/","name":"Doctorize Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/4eda0bbd64ef3522d4fcd02050a6807b","name":"Anastasia Price","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bfb2008a7a2058f7f326d600a12d031608c79142b8e490169fbd79fd19984f6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Anastasia Price"},"url":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/author\/anastasia-price\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":659,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657\/revisions\/659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorize.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}