Is it normal to have kidney stones

Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What are kidney stones? Symptoms of kidney stones Causes of kidney stones Diagnosis of kidney stones Complications of kidney stones Avoiding recurrence of kidney stones Where to get help.

Types of kidney stones There are four major types of kidney stones, including: stones formed from calcium not used by the bones and muscles, combined with oxalate or phosphate — these are the most common kidney stones stones containing magnesium and the waste product ammonia — these are called struvite stones and form after urine infections uric acid stones — these are often caused by eating very large amounts of protein foods cystine stones — these are rare and hereditary.

Symptoms of kidney stones Many people with kidney stones have no symptoms. The pain may be severe enough to cause nausea and vomiting blood in the urine cloudy or bad smelling urine shivers, sweating and fever — if the urine becomes infected small stones, like gravel, passing out in the urine, often caused by uric acid stones an urgent feeling of needing to urinate, due to a stone at the bladder outlet.

Treatment for kidney stones Most kidney stones can be treated without surgery. Treatments include: extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy ESWL — ultrasound waves are used to break the kidney stone into smaller pieces, which can pass out with the urine. ESWL is used for stones less than 2 cm in size percutaneous nephrolithotomy — for stones larger than 2cm. A small cut is made in your back, then a special instrument is used to remove the kidney stone endoscope removal — an instrument called an endoscope is inserted into the urethra, passed into the bladder and then to where the stone is located.

It allows the doctor to remove the stone or break it up so you can pass it more easily surgery — if none of these methods is suitable, the stone may need to be removed using traditional surgery. This will require a cut in your back to access your kidney and ureter to remove the stone. Medication for kidney stones For most people with recurrent calcium stones, a combination of drinking enough fluids, avoiding urinary infections, and specific treatment with medications will significantly reduce or stop new stone formation.

Causes of kidney stones A kidney stone can form when substances such as calcium, oxalate, cystine or uric acid are at high levels in the urine, although stones can form even if these chemicals are at normal levels. Diagnosis of kidney stones Many kidney stones are discovered by chance during examinations for other conditions.

Further tests may include: ultrasound CT scans x-rays, including an intravenous pyelogram IVP , where dye is injected into the bloodstream before the x-rays are taken. Analysis of kidney stones If you pass a stone, collect it and take it to your doctor for analysis. Complications of kidney stones Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to that of a pearl or even larger.

Avoiding recurrence of kidney stones If you have had one kidney stone, some tips that may help to prevent a second stone forming include: Talk to your doctor about the cause of the previous stone. Ask your doctor to check whether the medications you are on could be causing your stones. Do not stop your medications without talking to your doctor. Get quick and proper treatment of urinary infections.

Avoid dehydration. Drink enough fluids to keep your urine volume at or above two litres a day. Drinking enough fluid will help keep your urine less concentrated with waste products. Darker urine is more concentrated, so your urine should appear very light yellow to clear if you are well hydrated. Most of the fluid you drink should be water. Most people should drink more than 12 glasses of water a day. Speak with a healthcare professional about the right amount of water that's best for you.

Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup should be limited to small quantities. Eat more fruits and vegetables, which make the urine less acid. When the urine is less acid, then stones may be less able to form.

Animal protein produces urine that has more acid, which can then increase your risk for kidney stones. You can reduce excess salt in your diet. What foods are high in salt?

Everyone thinks of salty potato chips and French fries. Those should be rarely eaten. There are other products that are salty: sandwich meats, canned soups, packaged meals, and even sports drinks. You want to try to get to a normal weight if you are overweight. But, high-protein weight loss diets that include high amounts of animal-based protein, as well as crash diets can add to the risk of stone formation. You need adequate protein, but it needs to be part of a balanced diet.

Seek guidance from a registered dietitian when embarking on a weight loss diet or any dietary interventions to reduce the risk of kidney stones. Don't be confused about having a "calcium" stone. Dairy products have calcium, but they actually help prevent stones, because calcium binds with oxalate before it gets into the kidneys. People with the lowest dietary calcium intake have an increased risk of kidney stones.

A stone can form from salt, the waste products of protein, and potassium. The most common type of kidney stone is a calcium oxalate stone. Most kidney stones are formed when oxalate, a by product of certain foods, binds to calcium as urine is being made by the kidneys. Both oxalate and calcium are increased when the body doesn't have enough fluids and also has too much salt. Based on blood and urine tests, your doctor will determine which types of dietary changes are needed in your particular case.

Some herbal substances are promoted as helping prevent stones. You should know that there is insufficient published medical evidence to support the use of any herb or supplement in preventing stones.

To guide you, they need to know your medical history and the food you eat. Here are some questions you might ask:. Kidney stones are found in children as young as 5 years. In fact, this problem is so common in children that some hospitals conduct 'stone' clinics for pediatric patients. The increase in the United States has been attributed to several factors, mostly related to food choices. The two most important reasons are not drinking enough fluids and eating foods that are high in salt.

Kidney stones also called renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. Diet, excess body weight, some medical conditions, and certain supplements and medications are among the many causes of kidney stones. Kidney stones can affect any part of your urinary tract — from your kidneys to your bladder. Often, stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together.

Passing kidney stones can be quite painful, but the stones usually cause no permanent damage if they're recognized in a timely fashion. Depending on your situation, you may need nothing more than to take pain medication and drink lots of water to pass a kidney stone.

In other instances — for example, if stones become lodged in the urinary tract, are associated with a urinary infection or cause complications — surgery may be needed. Your doctor may recommend preventive treatment to reduce your risk of recurrent kidney stones if you're at increased risk of developing them again.

Kidney stones form in your kidneys. As stones move into your ureters — the thin tubes that allow urine to pass from your kidneys to your bladder — signs and symptoms can result. Signs and symptoms of kidney stones can include severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and blood in your urine. A kidney stone usually will not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureters — the tubes connecting the kidneys and the bladder.

If it becomes lodged in the ureters, it may block the flow of urine and cause the kidney to swell and the ureter to spasm, which can be very painful. At that point, you may experience these signs and symptoms:. Pain caused by a kidney stone may change — for instance, shifting to a different location or increasing in intensity — as the stone moves through your urinary tract.

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If your doctor can find out what your kidney stone is made of, he or she may be able to give you specific diet recommendations to help prevent future kidney stones. If you have a health condition that makes you more likely to have kidney stones, your doctor might tell you to take medicine to treat this condition. Kidney stones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large—sometimes larger than—a pearl. They can stay in your kidneys or travel through your ureters the tubes that go from your kidneys to your bladder , and out of your body with your urine.

When a kidney stone moves through your ureters and out your urethra with your urine, it is called passing a kidney stone. A kidney stone can also get stuck in your urinary tract and block urine from getting through. When you pass a kidney stone or a large kidney stone blocks the flow of your urine, it can be very painful. Donate Now. Give Monthly Give In Honor. Related Your Health. Your Health. Support AKF.