KIDNEY STONE / RENAL STONE
The
kidneys are body part that control the body's fluid and organic levels. We have
two kidneys, one on each side of the spine behind the liver, stomach, pancreas
and intestines. Healthy kidneys clean waste from the blood and remove it in the
urine. Kidneys regulate the levels of sodium, potassium and calcium in the
blood.
Calcium stones are the
most common type of kidney stone. There are two types of calcium stones:
calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Calcium oxalate is by far the most
common type of calcium stone. Some people have too much calcium in their urine,
raising their risk of calcium stones.
Uric acid stones (5-10 percent of stones)
Uric acid is a waste
product that comes from chemical changes in the body. Uric acid crystals do not
dissolve well in acidic urine and instead will form a uric acid stone.
Struvite/infection stones (10 percent of stones)
Struvite stones are not a
common type of stone. These stones are related to chronic urinary tract
infections (UTIs). Some bacteria make the urine less acidic and more basic or
alkaline. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) stones form in alkaline
urine. These stones are often large, with branches, and they often grow very
fast.
Cystine
stones (less than 1 percent of
stones)
Cystine is an amino acid
that is in certain foods; it is one of the building blocks of protein.
Cystinuria (too much cystine in the urine) is a rare, inherited metabolic
disorder. It is when the kidneys do not reabsorb cystine from the urine. When
high amounts of cystine are in the urine, it causes stones to form. Cystine
stones often start to form in babyhood.
Symptoms
of Kidney stones.
* Abdominal pain* Abnormal urine color* Blood in the urine*
Chills* Excess urination at night* Fever* Flank pain or back pain (colicky
(spasm-like), may move lower in flank, pelvis, groin, genitals, on one or both
sides, progressive, severe)* Groin pain* Nausea, vomiting* Painful urination*
Testicle pain* Urinary frequency/urgency* Urinary hesitancy.
