Due to poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle, kidney stones have become a common problem these days. Almost 1 in 10 men and 1 in 14 women have had kidney stones at least once in their lives. Kidneys work like a filter in your body, and remove waste material such as extra salt, water, potassium, etc from your blood and produce urine. Sometimes there can be too many extra substances in your body that the kidneys cannot filter out. In that case, these substances can form crystals in your body, and these crystals form hard substances called kidney stones. Kidney stones can vary in size; they can be small, just like a grain of sand, or as large as a golf ball. Some kidney stones can be too large, as they cannot leave your body through urine. In that case, you may need surgery to break kidney stones down into smaller pieces or remove them from the kidneys. The bad thing about kidney stones is that people who are struggling with kidney stones may have a high chance of getting them again in future.
Types Of Kidney Stones
- Calcium Stone
This is the most common type of kidney stone, and of the five kidney stone cases, 4 cases are calcium stones. Calcium stones are not formed from the calcium you eat; they can form when your body does not use all of the calcium.
- Uric Stone
This is another common type of kidney stone, and it can build up when an extra amount of uric acid is present in your urine. The reason for an extra amount of uric acid in your body can be due to diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. This stone can be formed in your body when your family has a history of kidney stones.
- Struvite Stone
Struvite stones, also known as infection stones, are not commonly found compared to uric acid stones or calcium stones. These stones form due to bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), and they are more common in women compared to men and in people who have a urinary catheter. A urinary catheter is a flexible tube inserted into your bladder to empty your bladder when you have problems peeing naturally. Struvite stones grow fast and can become large enough to fill the kidney, and to treat these kidney stones, doctors have to treat the first urinary tract infection that can cause kidney stones.
Conclusion
Kidney stones are the most common kidney disease, and there are different kinds of reasons to form kidney stones. There are different types of kidney stones, but the method to remove kidney stones is almost the same. The most important factor that matters in kidney stone removal procedures is the size of the stones. Kidney stones can be caused by diet, infections, or inherited conditions. To determine the best way to prevent them in the future, you need to know which type of stone you have. If you are also struggling with kidney stone problems, then you can visit Khosla Stone Kidney and Surgical Centre, where Dr. Rajesh Khosla, the best urologist with almost 20+ years of experience, can provide you with the best kidney treatments.
FAQs
What are the common symptoms of kidney stones?
Pain spreading to the lower belly, blood in the urine and a burning feeling when you pee are the most common symptoms of kidney stones.
How can the doctor treat my kidney stone?
Small stones can pass on their own with extra water and pain medicines; shock wave treatment and surgery are the last options for large stones.