We have to defeat these spikey monsters!

Oh, no! They got Triangle Bob and Greeg!

Well, guys... I guess this is goodbye!

You don't wanna live through this pain.

The pain of... Kidney stones... stones... stones... stones…

Okay! Cut!

I think that was pretty good. Great acting, Triangle Bob!

You really got into the role!

Uh, oh. You weren't acting, huh?

Cue the intro!

Hey there! Welcome to Life Noggin!

Warning! This video is gonna make you cringe, and I'm sorry.

This has been a requested video for like 5 years now, and i've been avoiding it because kidney stones make my skin crawl, and i don't even have skin.

It's more of a pixel coating.

Anyway, kidney stones are actually pretty common, occurring in 1 out of every 10 people.

What exactly are they you ask, concerned viewer?

They're solid masses made out of chemicals in your urine.

Yep, they form when there's too much waste products and not enough liquid.

First, a crystal forms, and then chemicals add on, and it continues to grow until it passes out of your body.

But along the way, it can get stuck in your urinary tract, which is what causes their symptoms.

And some can really hurt!

In addition to lower back and side pain, you may have a stomach ache or feel nauseous, and get a fever or chills.

It may also hurt when you pee, like, a lot.

And your pee may contain blood, look cloudy, or be smelly.

Okay! You can get through the rest of this video.

Come on. We could do this!

Yup, it definitely looks like you have a kidney stone, Triangle Bob.

But lets go to the doctor to be sure.

At the doctor, they might test your blood or urine for chemicals and give you a CT or X-ray to see where the stone is and how big it is.

You know, they can vary in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball!

Smaller ones can be passed naturally, but for ones that are too big or stuck, you'll need more extensive treatment.

This could involve surgery, where large stones are removed or broken up using a tool inserted through your urethra or an incision in your lower back.

If your stones are less than 2cm wide, you could have extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL.

This non-invasive procedure uses 1 to 2 thousand high-energy sound waves to create vibrations and break the stone apart into tiny pieces that can pass through the body.

Once out of your body, your doctor will analyze the stone to see which of the four types it is and determine what caused it.

The most common type, calcium oxalate, is usually due to not enough calcium and fluid intake.

Another common type, uric acid, is caused by eating too much of certain meats and shellfish.

While the less common struvite stone is caused by urinary tract infections, and the rare cystine stone tends to run in families.

But generally, a healthy diet will prevent kidney stones from forming.

This includes limiting salty and sugary food while eating fruits, vegetables, dairy, and drinking lots and lots of water.

Please! Just drink water.

You dehydrated ray of sunshine!

Don't let this happen to you! Do whatever you can to prevent it!

It's the worst feeling in the wo-

Sorry! Got carried away there!

Have you ever had kidney stones?

If so, share your story in the comments if you're comfortable doing so, or tell me…what should I talk about next!

Give me your weird questions. I can take it.

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And as always, my name is Blocko. This has been life noggin!

Don't forget to drink water and avoid kidney stones. Please! Please, just do it... and keep on thinking!