What are kidney stones and what are the symptoms?
Kidney stones are hard masses that develop when substances in the urine such as salt crystals and minerals build up and stick together. They can be found in the kidney as well as in the urinary tract. Symptoms can range from dull, aching pain to severe, sharp pain in the side, sometimes accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, and blood in the urine.
Kidney stones can be found throughout the urinary tract.
Most stones are small enough that they can move from the kidney through the ureters and into the bladder, where they'll eventually pass from the body with urination. Sometimes, however, stones grow too large to pass, and they can become lodged in the ureter, which can stop urines natural flow, causing pain. These types of stones may need to be treated.
There are four basic types of kidney stones and each is due to different factors. The most common types of stones are composed of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate. The most common cause of these types of stones is dehydration or people with sensitivities to nutritional variations in their diet, i.e. not getting enough calcium or eating foods high in oxalates. Stones can also be caused by an infection in the urinary tract. These are called struvite stones. Even less common is a uric acid stone.
References:
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse:
Kidney Stones in Adults jul04
WebMD:
Kidney Stones: Treatment Overview jul04
American Urological Association:
Medical Management of Stone Disease jul04,
Surgical Management of Stones jul04,
Management of Ureteral Stones jul04
