Kidney stone

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Kidney stones are hard clumps of crystalized minerals that can form in your kidneys. They are sometimes called renal calculi. Depending on the size of the stone, it may exit your body by traveling through your urinary tract when you urinate. Less often, the stones are too large and need to be removed surgically. Risk factors of kidney stones • prior history or family history • • diets that include high • • • • Kidney stones can be made of several different types of crystals. Sometimes the stones are composed of a single type of crystal, but more often it’s a mix. The most abundant type of crystal determines what type of kidney stone you have. Read on to learn more about the different varieties of kidney stones. There are four types of kidney stones: • calcium stones • uric acid stones • • cystine stones Calcium stones are the most common type, and they can be further divided into two subgroups based on the molecules they’re made from: • • calcium phosphate Different types of stones may form crystals of different shapes. Some types are more common than others. They might present at different ages, occur more frequently in men or in women, or have different rates of recurrence (the chances of having another kidney stone later). If you have a kidney stone, you may want to know what type of stone it is. This is not something you can figure out on your own. A doctor can find out more about your kidney stone by using different types of diagnostic tests. These may include imaging...

Pain in your back or side, blood in your urine and nausea/vomiting alongside the pain are symptoms of a kidney stone or stones. Most kidney stones are about the size of a chickpea, but they can also be as small as a grain of sand and as large as a golf ball. Small stones can pass through your urinary tract but you might need surgery for the larger ones. Overview What’s a kidney stone? A stone in your kidney is an irregularly-shaped solid mass or crystal that can be as small as a grain of sand up to the size of a golf ball. Depending on the size of your kidney stone (or stones), you may not even realize that you have one. Even small stones can cause extreme pain as they exit your body through your urinary tract. Drinking fluids may help the process, which can take as long as three weeks. A large kidney stone can get trapped in your ureter (the tube that drains urine from your kidney down to your bladder). When this happens, the stone can cause bleeding and keep urine from leaving your body. You may need surgery for a stone that can’t pass on its own. How common are kidney stones? Researchers have concluded that about one in ten people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. Kidney stones in children are far less common than in adults but they occur for the same reasons. They’re four times more likely to occur in children with asthma than in children who don’t have asthma. Who’s most likely to get kidney stones? What are the risk factors? White men in their 30s and 40...

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Urologist What are kidney stones? A common misconception is that pain is from having a kidney stone when in fact the pain comes from when the stone gets stuck, typically in the ureter. Urine will back up into the kidney causing it to swell. “The swelling of the kidney causes the pain because the kidney isn’t a stretchy organ and swelling causes the nerves on the surface of the kidney to get irritated,” says Dr. De. Kidney stones can be caused by several factors like They can range in shape, size and texture. “The smallest size could be as small as a poppy seed or just even crystals that show up on a urine test but aren’t visible to the eye,” says Dr. De. “They can get as big as filling the entire kidney, so that can be more than 4 or 5 centimeters, depending on the size of somebody’s kidney.” Early warning signs How do you know you have a kidney stone? While it can be difficult to diagnose on your own and can often be Flank pain Your kidney sits partially underneath your ribs in the back, so for many, the pain will start in the flank area, which is on either side of your middle back, between your pelvis and your ribs. The “A lot of people get confused because they may have back issues and they think it’s a kidney stone, but the location is completely wrong,” says Dr. De. “You don’t generally get kidney sto...

As the kidneys filter waste from the blood, they create urine. Sometimes, salts and other minerals in urine stick together to form small kidney stones. These range from the size of a sugar crystal to a ping pong ball, but they are rarely noticed unless they cause a blockage. They may cause intense pain if they break loose and push into the ureters, the narrow ducts leading to the bladder. Kidney stones are rarely diagnosed before they begin causing pain. This pain is often severe enough to send patients to the ER, where a variety of tests can uncover the stones. These may include a CT scan, X-rays, ultrasound, and urinalysis. Blood tests can help look for high levels of minerals involved in forming kidney stones. The CT scan here shows a stone blocking the ureter, the duct that empties into the bladder. The smaller the kidney stone, the more likely it will pass on its own. If it is smaller than 5 mm (1/5 inch), there is a 90% chance it will pass without further intervention. If the stone is between 5 mm and 10 mm, the odds are 50%. If a stone is too large to pass on its own, several treatment options are available. There are prescription medications that can help the body pass a kidney stone. Drugs known as alpha-blockers relax the walls of the ureter. This widens the passages so a stone can fit through more easily. Side effects are generally mild and may include headache or dizziness. Other types of medications can help prevent new stones from forming. The most common med...

Kidney stones are hard objects, made up of millions of tiny crystals. Most kidney stones form on the interior surface of the kidney, where urine leaves the kidney tissue and enters the urinary collecting system. Kidney stones can be small, like a tiny pebble or grain of sand, but are often much larger. The job of the kidneys is to maintain the body's balance of water, minerals and salts. Urine is the product of this filtering process. Under certain conditions, substances normally dissolved in urine, such as calcium, oxalate and phosphate, become too concentrated and can separate out as crystals. A kidney stone develops when these crystals attach to one another, accumulating into a small mass, or stone. Kidney stones come in a variety of mineral types: • Calcium stones: Most kidney stones are composed of calcium and oxalate. Many people who form calcium containing stones have too much calcium in their urine, a condition known as hypercalciuria There are several reasons why hypercalciuria may occur. Some people absorb too much calcium from their intestines. Others absorb too much calcium from their bones. Still others have kidneys that do not correctly regulate the amount of calcium they release into their urine. There are some people who form calcium oxalate stones as a result of too much oxalate in the urine, a condition known as hypercalciuria In some cases, too much oxalate in the urine is a result of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative coli...

You may be able to prevent kidney stones from forming with dietary changes, including staying hydrated, consuming more citrus, and avoiding certain foods like those high in sodium. Kidney stones in the urinary tract are formed in several ways. Calcium can combine with chemicals, such as oxalate or phosphorous, in the urine. This can happen if these substances become so concentrated that they solidify. Kidney stones can also be caused by a buildup of uric acid. Uric acid buildup is caused by the metabolism of protein. Your urinary tract wasn’t designed to expel solid matter, so it’s no surprise that If you’re trying to avoid kidney stones, what you eat and drink is as important as what you shouldn’t eat and drink. Here are some important rules of thumb to keep in mind. Stay hydrated Fluids, especially water, help to dilute the chemicals that form stones. Try to drink at least 12 glasses of water a day. Up your citrus intake Citrus fruit, and their juice, can help reduce or block the formation of stones due to naturally occurring citrate. Good sources of citrus include lemons, oranges, and grapefruit. Eat lots of calcium (and vitamin D) If your calcium intake is low, oxalate levels may rise. It’s preferable to get your calcium from food, rather than from supplements, as these have been linked to kidney stone formation. Good sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other types of cheeses. Vegetarian sources of calcium include legumes, calcium-set tofu, dar...

Kidney stones are small, hard deposits that form in the kidneys. They develop when there is a decrease in urine or an increase in certain substances, such as minerals and salts. Changes in diet can help prevent them. In this article, we outline some of the dietary choices a person can make to reduce the risk of developing Share on Pinterest Drinking plenty of water is an aspect of the kidney stone diet. People who wish to prevent kidney stones developing for the first time or reduce the risk of recurrence if they have already had stones should follow these main steps: • drink plenty of water • limit their intake of salt and animal protein • restrict foods that contain high levels of oxalates • get enough There is no single diet plan for all types of kidney stones, as they can form due to a buildup of several different minerals in the body. However, many dietitians and doctors who specialize in kidney diseases, or nephrologists, recommend the This diet has demonstrated the ability to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation and improve other elements of overall health, such as lower However, dietary changes mainly affect people at risk of the following types of kidney stone: • calcium oxalate stones • calcium phosphate stones • uric acid stones • cystine stones People should speak with their healthcare provider to work out which type of kidney stones they have had, if any, to support effective dietary choices. The Because kidney stones vary according to the minerals they c...