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Types of Kidney Stones |
Types of Kidney StonesCalculi or kidney stones are basically mineral deposits that have hardened and formed in the kidney.
Originally these mineral deposits were microscopic materials that have developed into stones in time. This condition is medically know as renal stone disease or technically nephrolithiasis.
One of the main functions of the kidney is to filter waste products in the blood and add these filtered materials to the urine.
However, there are cases wherein these materials are properly and completely dissolved; hence, the formation of crystals and stones.
Stones are produced in the kidney when there is lack of citrate in the urine; excess accumulation of oxalate, calcium, or uric acid in the urine, oxalate; or when there is insufficient water supply in the kidney that could help dissolve and disintegrate these waste products. In the event that dehydration happens, there is saturation of substances that do not completely dissolve, which may cause the formation of crystals that eventually turn into stones in the kidney.
The four most popular types of these kidney stones are discussed as follows:
Calcium StonesMajority of stones found in the kidney are predominantly composed of calcium compounds.
Apparently, the cause of which is excess calcium found in the urine. Normally, excess calcium is eliminated from the blood and discharged in the urine.
In calcium stone formations, this excess calcium stays up in the kidney and merges with other waste products thereby causing the development of stones.
Cystine StonesProtein has an amino acid that does not completely dissolve: cystine. A hereditary congenital disease is found in some people where cystine is observed to be at abnormal levels in their urine.
Cystinuria, the technical term for this condition, is found to be difficult to treat and one that requires therapy that may last a lifetime.
Struvite StonesUrinary tract infections inevitably affect the urine’s chemical balance. This is due to the bacterial growth that releases some chemicals that may neutralize the acidic nature of urine.
This bacterial growth in urinary tract infection can be safely blamed as the cause of the stone formation in the kidney, thus, struvite stones appear.
Uric Acid StonesUric acid is produced in the chemical process of digestion. Uric acid stones form when there is much acidity in the urine which happens when most of the acid is excreted and not enough is left. This condition is likewise hereditary and is more common in men than in women.
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