Are kidney stones always painful?

No, they are not always painful. If the stone is small and sitting quietly in the kidney, you won't feel a thing. The practical solution is to do a routine urine test and ultrasound once a year to catch them before they start moving and causing trouble.

Actually no, some people have them for years without realizing it! They only start hurting when they move or block the flow. I love my spicy food and soft drinks, but the fear of kidney stone pain keeps me drinking my 3 liters of water daily, haha.

They can be completely painless until they move into the ureter. It is cheaper to get a basic Rs. 800 ultrasound done now to check for silent stones, rather than paying lakhs for emergency hospital admission and laser surgery later if it suddenly blocks your urine.

No, sometimes they just sit there quietly like lazy relatives. You won't feel any pain until they decide to move out. So don't assume you are safe just because nothing hurts right now; drink your water!