First, lets review what the kidney’s do and then discover how and why kidney stones form. The kidney is really a filter for your blood.
This not only removes wastes products but regulates electrolytes and of course makes urine. In the kidney, ureter and bladder chemicals within the urine can crystallize forming a stone if the urine is too concentrated. These stones are very tiny when they form but grow over time to an inch or larger. Urolithiasis means stones in the urinary tract, while nephrolithiasis (nephro = kidney) refers to kidney stones and ureterolithiasis refers to stones within the ureter. The size of the stone and where it is located and whether it obstructs urine is most important. A stone in the kidney will not typically cause pain in the ureter unless it is blocking and causes a pressure back up into the kidney. The kidney will then swell, causing pain and nausea.
Types of Kidney Stones
The stone-forming substances are:
- Calcium
- Oxalate
- Urate
- Cysteine
- Xanthine
- Phosphate