To understand kidney stones well, you must know how stones kidney formed and what are the types and causes of kidney stones.
How do kidney stones form?
Naturally, the urine contains dissolved salts and minerals. When the levels of these minerals and salts rise in the urine, it becomes prone to the formation of kidney stones. Kidney stones start small in size, but they may grow over time with the continual deposition of salts and minerals on them.
Kidney stones are small hard masses, consisting of crystals resulting from the concentration of minerals and salts in the urine at higher than normal rates. Kidney stones form mainly in the kidney, but they can form in any other organ of the urinary system. such as the ureters, bladder, and urethra.
What are the types of kidney stones?
Not all kidney stones are made of the same crystals, there are different types of stones based on the components their crystals are made of:
1- Calcium stones
Calcium stones are the most common and are often made up of calcium oxalate, a chemical found in many types of food. Such as potato chips, nuts, chocolate, and some types of vegetables and fruits. Calcium stones can sometimes form from calcium phosphate.
2- Uric acid stones
This type of stone, more common in men, occurs when the urine is highly acidic. Uric acid stones can occur in patients with gout or patients undergoing chemotherapy.
3- Struvite stones
This type of stone is often found in women who have urinary tract infections. These stones can be large and lead to blockages in the urinary system. And because these stones occur as a result of infections; The treatment of infections will reduce the risk of their occurrence.
4- Cystine stones
Cystine stones are rare and occur in patients with the hereditary disease cystinuria.
What are the causes of kidney stones?
There is no single, clear cause for the formation of kidney stones, but a combination of factors may increase the risk of developing kidney stones. Men are at higher risk of developing kidney stones than women. Mainly, the incidence of kidney stones is related to one or more of these causes:
1- decreased urine volume
One of the main factors that increase your risk of developing kidney stones is the decrease in the volume of urine excreted from your body, caused by dehydration.
This happens if you don't drink enough water and fluids daily or live in a relatively hot climate that causes you to lose more fluids through sweating, without making up for it by drinking more water. It can also happen due to intense exercise.
When the volume of urine decreases, this makes it more concentrated and dark in color, which means that the urine is less able to dissolve salts.
Drinking more water helps reduce the concentration of salts in your urine, which reduces the possibility of developing kidney stones.
2- Diet
The diet you follow can affect your likelihood of developing kidney stones. If your diet is rich in animal protein or sodium, this will increase your risk of developing kidney stones.
3- Obesity
If you are obese; Whether you have a high BMI, a significant weight gain, or a high waist circumference, this increases the likelihood of kidney stones.
4- Intestinal diseases and surgeries
If you have inflammatory bowel disease or chronic diarrhea; This may cause changes in the digestive process, affecting the absorption of calcium and water, which will increase your risk of developing kidney stones. If you have previously had gastric bypass surgery or other intestinal surgery, this will also affect the formation of stones.
5- Taking certain medications
If you have the following medications for a long time, this will increase your risk of developing kidney stones:
- Diuretics.
- Laxatives
- Calcium.
- Vitamin D.
- Indinavir.
- Sulfamethoxazole.
- Antacid containing calcium.
6- Certain medical conditions
If you have the following conditions, this will increase your risk of developing kidney stones:
Polycystic kidney disease or any other form of polycystic kidney disease.Renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, or hyperparathyroidism.A health problem that causes elevated levels of cysteine, oxalate, uric acid, or calcium in the urine.
A health problem that causes swelling or irritation of your intestines or joints. family history, if someone in your family has had kidney stones before, this increases your body's predisposition to kidney stones.
