Types of Kidney Stones

Monday, August 2, 2010

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs, located just below the rib cage, towards the back in the upper part of a person’s abdomen. Kidneys perform the important function of filtering out the toxins and waste materials from our blood. Kidneys also help in controlling the electrolyte levels for effective functioning of the body. Many a times, the functioning of these organs gets affected adversely and that might lead to several health problems. One such problem is the formation of kidney stones. This is one of the most common urological disorders. The formation of large kidney stones can cause excruciating pain. Wondering what causes the formation of these kidney stones? Here's some information on the different types of kidney stones.

Kidney Stones
What are kidney stones? What causes kidney stones? A kidney stone is a hard, solid stone like mass which is formed as a result of the crystallization of the minerals and salts that are present in the urine. Though urine contains certain inhibitors that prevent the formation of such crystals, sometimes, the high concentration of these minerals can result in the formation of such stones. A dip in the level of magnesium, citrates and pyrophosphates in the urine is another reason for the formation of kidney stones. These substances curtail the formation of crystals and therefore, an absence or decreased levels of these substances will make you vulnerable to the problem of kidney stones.

When these stones are small in size, these can be flushed out of the body through the urinary tract, but when these stones become large, these might cause severe pain as they move through the ureter. Those who are suffering from certain medical conditions such as gout, cystinuria, hypercalcuria, hyperoxaluria, renal tubular acidosis and diabetes are at an increased risk of developing this condition. Inadequate intake of water and consumption of certain food items might also make you vulnerable. If you have been experiencing kidney stone symptoms such as abdominal pain, pain during urination, back pain, frequent urge to urinate or blood in urine, you must consult a doctor. Now that you are aware of the causes and symptoms of a kidney stone, let's talk about the different types of kidney stones.

Kidney Stone Types
What are the different types of kidney stones? Kidney stones are generally formed due to the presence of minerals and salts such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate or struvite in the urine. There are four common types of kidney stones. These stones contain calcium, struvite, custine and uric acid. One of the most common types of kidney stones are those formed due to the presence of high levels of calcium in urine. If your diet contains calcium in high quantities, you might be at a risk of developing kidney stones. Though calcium is very essential for healthy bones, once the bones and muscles use the calcium, the rest of it goes into the kidneys. Though it might be passed out by way of urine, sometimes, the kidneys are unable to flush it out and it may form crystals. Calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate are the common types of kidney stones in men.

One of the most common types of kidney stones in women is struvite kidney stones. Those suffering from urinary tract infections are at a risk of developing struvite stones, therefore women are more vulnerable. Such kidney stones develop due to the presence of magnesium and ammonia. Another type of kidney stone is formed due to the excessive production of uric acid. Metabolic disorders could also lead to the formation of uric acid stones. Therefore, people suffering from the formation of such stones must pay attention to their diet. Stones formed due to uric acid are one of the most common types of kidney stones in children. Some kidney stones might be formed due to excessive production of cysteine in the urine. A rare genetic condition called cystinuria is responsible for the formation of such stones.

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