All About Kidney Stones By: Joey Health Researcher

Kidney stones would probably be one of the most common and painful urologic disorders today. Annually, over 600,000 individuals get kidney stones.

Kidney stones are solid masses which are formed from dissolved urinary minerals in the kidneys. They could be as small as a single grain of sand or as big as a golf ball. They could also be smooth, jagged, round, spiky and asymmetrical. The color of kidney stones depends on their chemical composition. They could be yellow, tan, brown, gold or black.

Kidney stones can usually be passed through urinating, without having to do any other invasive or complex medical procedures. Here are some of the causes of kidney stone formation.

1. First off, if your family has a history of kidney stones or in medical terms, renal stone disease, then there is a higher chance of you contracting them as well. It would be advisable for you to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet and drinking a lot of water to prevent the formation of kidney stones. You would also need to make sure that you are watchful for any symptoms that could mean you already have kidney stones.

2. Another cause of kidney stones would be if you have high levels of certain chemicals in your urine. These chemicals would include cystine, calcium, sodium and uric acid. These chemical compounds can greatly contribute to the development of kidney stones.

3. There are also several medical conditions which could lead to kidney stone formation. These conditions would include: hypertension or high blood pressure, gout, arthritis, urinary tract infection, renal tubular acidosis and colitis.

4. Also, if you have hypocitraturia or a low level of citrate in your urine, it could also result to the formation of kidney stones.

5. Having a poor diet could also contribute to the formation of kidney stones, particularly if you consume a lot of meat. If your diet is low in vegetable proteins and carbohydrates, and high in sugar, fat and sodium, then you are more prone to getting kidney stones as well. Another cause of kidney stones would be if you eat a lot of food which has a lot of oxalate such as squash, spinach, green beans, tomatoes and cranberries.

Since kidney stones are sometimes small enough to be passes through the urine, there are many people who may have formed and passed kidney stones without ever feeling any symptoms. However, if the stones are larger, they could cause a painful obstruction in the ureter. Some of the symptoms of kidney stones would be mild to severe pain on the lower abdomen, painful urination, nausea, vomiting and in more serious cases, fever, foul smelling urine and pus or blood in the urine. The diagnosis of kidney stones could generally be confirmed through an ultrasound examination, radiological studies or through a urine or blood test.

Although kidney stones can easily be treated, it would be better if you know how you can prevent them, as the more serious cases could cause severe pain and sometimes, even death. Some of the things that you can do to prevent the formation of kidney stones would be by drinking a lot of fluids, preferably water, and ensuring that you are eating a balanced diet. By drinking enough water your urine would dilute and the chemical crystals would not be building up and would be passed through the urine, preventing the formation of kidney stones.

Kidney Stones Treatment

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