About Kidney Stones

What Are Kidney Stones?

National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDD K)- What Is a Kidney Stone?
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney out of substances in the urine. A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract. A small stone may pass all the way out of the body without causing too much pain. A larger stone may get stuck in a ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. A problem stone can block the flow of urine and cause great pain. ...

Urology Notes - What Every Man & Woman Should Know About Kidney Stones
Kidney stones (calculi) are solid or semi-solid mineral-like substances occurring in the urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Urinary calculi may form anywhere along the urinary tract. The main problem occurs when the stones block the drainage of the kidney, resulting in urinary obstruction. It has been estimated that approximately 3% of the adult population in the United States will develop urinary calculi at least once in their lifetime. Written by Rufus Green Jr., M.D.

Causes of Kidney Stones

eMedicine Health - Kidney Stones Causes
Although the precise causes of kidney stones are not fully understood, kidney stones are crystals that “fall out” of the solution that is your urine. These collections of crystals can be as small as a grain of sand ...

OhioHealth
A number of factors can cause changes in your urine, including the effects of heredity, diet, drugs, climate, lifestyle factors and certain medical conditions. Each of the four main types of kidney stones has a different cause: Calcium stones. Approximately 75 percent to 85 percent of all kidney stones are calcium stones. These stones are usually a combination of calcium and oxalate, a compound that occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables...

Midwest Stone Institute - Causes And Types Of Stones
Calcium oxalate is the most common crystal found in stones. This organic acid is produced within the body, and it is also taken in through foods such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, rhubarb, oranges, various berries, apples, grapes, pineapples, cranberries, beer, coffee, tea, cocoa, cola drinks, pepper, and others.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

eMedicine Health - Kidney Stones Symptoms
Stone pain is sudden, severe, and sharp when it begins and later will come and go over time as the stone moves. The location where pain is felt is largely a result of where your kidney stone lodges...

Kidneys Edmonton Alberta Kidney Foundation Canada - Kidney Stones
The symptoms of kidney stones include: Severe pain that usually starts suddenly in the small of the back under the ribs or in the lower abdomen, and which may move to the groin, lasting for minutes or hours, followed by periods of relief; Blood in the urine; Nausea and vomiting...

e-Kidneys.net
Blood may be seen in the urine due to the physical damage caused by the stone and intense pain that radiates from the back to the abdomen and groin may occur when the stone is passed...

Types of Kidney Stones

National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) - What I need to know about Kidney Stones
There are four major types of kidney stones: 1. The most common type of stone contains calcium (KAL-see-um). Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. Calcium that is not used by the bones and muscles goes to the kidneys. In most people, the kidneys flush out the extra calcium with the rest of the urine. People who have calcium stones keep the calcium in their kidneys. The calcium that stays behind joins with other waste products to form a stone. 2. A struvite (STROO-vite) stone may form after an infection in the urinary system. These stones contain the mineral magnesium (mag-NEE-zee-um) and the waste product ammonia (uh-MOH-nyuh). 3. A uric (YOOR-ik) acid stone may form when there is too much acid in the urine. If you tend to form uric acid stones, you may need to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. 4. Cystine (SIS-teen) stones are rare. Cystine is one of the building blocks that make up muscles, nerves, and other parts of the body. Cystine can build up in the urine to form a stone. The disease that causes cystine stones runs in families.

AlRahman Homeo Clinic - Kidney Stones
These stones may be of different types depending on the type of salt in the urine. Common types are calcium, uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones. Most commonly found are the calcium stones, out of which Calcium Oxalate and Calcium Phosphate are more common...

Treatments for Kidney Stones

eMedicine Health - Kidney Stones Treatment
Most smaller stones (4-5 mm; 0.16-0.2 inches) will pass through your urinary system by themselves (80-85%). The location in the kidney, ureter and bladder, the shape of the stone,...

American Kidney Fund
When Should I See a Doctor? 1. Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away. 2. Blood in your urine. 3. Fever and chills. 4. Vomiting. 5. Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy. 6. A burning feeling when you urinate.

Midwest Stone Institute
The most frequently used method to treat Kidney Stones is with Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). The second most commonly used method for treating ureteral and some kidney stones is laser therapy with the Holmium Laser.

OhioHealth
Stones that can't be treated with more conservative measures — either because they're too large to pass on their own or because they cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infection — may need surgical treatment. Surgical procedures include: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). This is the most commonly used surgical procedure for treating kidney stones. It uses shock waves to break the stones into tiny pieces that are then passed in your urine...

Complications of Kidney Stones

Mayo Clinic - Complications of Kidney Stones
If a stone stays inside one of your kidneys, it usually doesn't cause a problem unless it becomes so large it blocks the flow of urine. This can cause pressure and pain, along with the risk of severe kidney damage, bleeding and infection. Smaller stones may partially block the thin tubes that connect each kidney to your bladder or the outlet from the bladder itself. These stones may cause ongoing urinary tract infection or kidney.

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