A urethral stone is a crystal that has traveled down to the final pee pipe and gotten stuck. Because the tube is narrow, even a small chip can turn the stream into a battle.

The first hint is a sudden stutter in the flow. You start voiding, the stream stops dead, then dribbles again, like someone kinked a garden hose.

Sharp burning follows. It feels like hot sauce is being pulled through the pipe, especially during the last seconds of urination.

Urgency doubles. You feel a constant need to “go again,” yet each trip ends with only drops and pain.

Visible blood is common. The urine turns pink or shows small clots at the end of the stream.

Some people feel the stone moving: a sharp tickle or bump they can trace along the underside of the penis or behind the pubic bone.

If the stone blocks the pipe completely, the bladder over-fills and you can’t go at all—an emergency.