Dolly Parton’s Kidney Stones Diagnosis Is a Reminder to Know When Pain Needs Emergency Care

By: Kaia Bonner

Dolly Parton recently shared that ongoing health issues, including chronic kidney stones, led her to cancel her Las Vegas residency. While Parton reassured fans that her condition is treatable, her experience is a reminder that kidney stones can cause serious pain and, in some cases, require emergency care.

What’re kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys. Some stones pass on their own, but others can block the urinary tract, cause severe pain, or lead to infection.

Common symptoms may include:

• Sharp pain in the back, side, lower abdomen, or groin
• Nausea or vomiting
• Blood in the urine
• Burning or pain when urinating
• Fever or chills

When should you go to the emergency room?

Not every kidney stone requires emergency treatment, but some symptoms shouldn’t be ignored. You should seek emergency care if you have severe pain, pain with fever or chills, persistent vomiting, trouble urinating, or blood in your urine.

If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, Jackson Memorial Hospital’s new emergency room can make a difference. With this next era of care, patients can be evaluated quickly, receive pain relief, imaging, lab testing, and treatment guidance when symptoms become too serious to manage on their own.

Kidney stones may be common, but severe pain is never something to push through. Getting timely care can help prevent complications.

Click here to learn more about our new emergency room.

Union20 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons