Kidney Stone Basics
What is a "kidney stone"?
A kidney stone is when there's an abnormality of the electrolytes within the urine, allowing for crystallization to occur. The crystals at first are small and they can eventually grow. The growth can result in a large stone or mass which can then migrate through the system causing an obstruction of the urinary system. The obstruction can lead to pain, nausea, and vomiting, and if it is allowed to persist long enough, it can actually lead to loss of kidney function.
What are the different types of kidney stones?
There are a multitude of types of kidney stones that can develop in humans. The more common include calcium-based stones, and probably eighty percent or so of stones that are formed in humans are calcium-based; either calcium oxalate, or calcium phosphate stones. Less common stones that occur are uric acid, and rarely, cysteine stones and infection-related or struvite stones.
What causes kidney stones?
Kidney stones are caused, primarily, by an imbalance of electrolytes within the urinary system. Either electrolytes secreted in excess, for example, hyperoxaluria, which is a excess of amount of oxalate being secreted or excreted into the urine, and, or a deficiency of certain products, like citrate. If you have a hypocitraturia, or a low citrate concentration in the urine, it can lead to an imbalance that promotes stone formation. Additionally, certain environmental influences, such as excessive sodium intake, and one of the main culprits are sports drinks, also fast food because a lot of fast food contains high quantities of sodium. The high sodium can actually promote stones to form in the urinary system even in the absence of other electrolyte imbalances. And then, finally, there are genetic disturbances which could cause excessive amounts of products to be excreted into the urine, thereby promoting stone formation.
Are kidney stones genetic?
In rare instances the answer is yes, where there's a clear cut genetic tendency. In other instances there are tendencies in families for people to form stones. In the first scenario with a true genetic abnormality for example “Cystine” stone formation. There is an inherited gene in which every member of the family will throw up the cystine stones and therefore that is an obvious risk factor. However in other families there are tendencies for hyperoxaluria or uric acid to be secreted in excess or for hypocitrituria and interestingly its favored male over female at 3 to 2.
What is the risk I will develop a second kidney stone?
For an individual who has already formed a kidney stone, the risk of forming a second kidney stone is greater than fifty percent. So it is imperative for any individual who has formed a stone in their lifetime to undergo a full investigation in the form of crystalline analysis, and a twenty-four hour urine collection so that all the electrolytes important for kidney stone formation are analized and investigated. Therefore advice on what to do whether it's dietary manipulation or addition of medications to the daily regemen can be given and the individual will benefit from reducing the risk of a second kidney stone.
