Several million kidney stones are diagnosed each year with an estimated 10% of the U.S. population destined to suffer the pain from a stone at some point in their lives. For unknown reasons, the number of people in the U.S. with kidney stones has been increasing over the past 20 years. Fortunately, most stones will pass out of the body without any need for surgical intervention.
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs and are responsible for maintaining the balance by removing excess fluid, unneeded electrolytes and waste from your blood and converting it to urine. The kidneys also produce hormones that build strong bones and red blood cells. The urine is carried by narrow muscular tubes called ureters to the bladder and the bladder acts like a balloon that stretches and expands to store urine throughout the day.
Kidney stones usually form when your urine becomes too concentrated. This causes minerals and other substances in urine to form crystals on the inner surfaces of your kidneys. Over time, these crystals may combine to form a small, hard mass, or stone.
Usually the symptoms of a kidney stone start with extreme pain that has been described as being worse than child labor pains. The pain also begins suddenly as the stone moves in the urinary tract, causing irritation and blockage. The pain, usually a sharp cramping pain, starts in your back or your side just under or below the edge of your ribs. As the stone moves down the ureter toward your bladder, the pain may radiate to your lower abdomen, groin and genital structures on that side. In a man, the pain may move down to the tip of the penis. Other symptoms may include:
Occasionally, stones may be silent, but they may be causing irreversible damage to kidney function. If the stone is not large enough to prompt major symptoms, it can still trigger a dull ache that is often confused with muscle or intestinal pain. Stones as small as 2-3 mm have caused symptoms while those as large as a pea may have quietly passed.
Scientists do not always know the reasons why stones form. These factors may increase your risk of developing stones:
Caucasians are more likely to develop stones than African Americans and, although stones occur slightly more frequently in men, the number of women who get them has also been increasing over the past ten years. Kidney stones typically strike patients between the ages of 20 and 40.
Certain foods may promote stones in susceptible people, but researchers do not believe that foods will cause stones in people who are not otherwise vulnerable.
If someone in your family has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones too. And if you've already had one or more kidney stones, there is a 50% chance that you may develop another one over the next 3 to 5 years.
If you don't drink enough fluids, your urine is likely to have higher concentrations of substances that can form stones. That's why you're more likely to form kidney stones if you live in a hot, dry climate, work in a hot environment, such as a commercial kitchen, or exercise strenuously without replacing lost fluids.
Rare, inherited diseases as well as more common disorders such as gout, chronic urinary tract infections and hyperparathyroidism can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder that causes more calcium to be present in your urine. Stones can form because of obstruction to urinary passage, like the prostate in men or strictures.
Medications can have variable effects on stone formation. Consumption of calcium pills by a person who is at risk for forming stones, certain diuretics and calcium-based antacids may increase the risk of forming stones by increasing the amount of available calcium in the urine.
Treatment of kidney stones varies, depending largely on the size, position and number of stones in your kidney. Luckily, the majority of stones between 2-5 mm will pass without need for any surgical intervention. You should increase your daily fluid intake. Consuming 2-3 quarts of water increases urine production which will dilute the urine. Once stones have passed, no other treatment is usually necessary. We would like you to try to save any passed stones for chemical composition testing.
Renal colic or the sudden flank pain that occurs when small stones start down the ureter can be treated with bed rest and analgesics. Occasionally, you may need stronger pain killers for pain relief. Certain types of stones such as uric acid can be broken up with medical therapy that changes the level of acidity in the urine. The majority of stones are composed of calcium and cannot be dissolved.
Surgery should be reserved for cases of stones that:
Until recently, surgery to remove a stone was very painful and required an open surgical procedure with a long recovery time. Today, the treatment for stones is improved and many options do not require major surgery.
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs and are responsible for maintaining the balance by removing excess fluid, unneeded electrolytes and waste from your blood and converting it to urine. The kidneys also produce hormones that build strong bones and red blood cells. The urine is carried by narrow muscular tubes called ureters to the bladder and the bladder acts like a balloon that stretches and expands to store urine throughout the day.
Kidney stones usually form when your urine becomes too concentrated. This causes minerals and other substances in urine to form crystals on the inner surfaces of your kidneys. Over time, these crystals may combine to form a small, hard mass, or stone.
Usually the symptoms of a kidney stone start with extreme pain that has been described as being worse than child labor pains. The pain also begins suddenly as the stone moves in the urinary tract, causing irritation and blockage. The pain, usually a sharp cramping pain, starts in your back or your side just under or below the edge of your ribs. As the stone moves down the ureter toward your bladder, the pain may radiate to your lower abdomen, groin and genital structures on that side. In a man, the pain may move down to the tip of the penis. Other symptoms may include:
Occasionally, stones may be silent, but they may be causing irreversible damage to kidney function. If the stone is not large enough to prompt major symptoms, it can still trigger a dull ache that is often confused with muscle or intestinal pain. Stones as small as 2-3 mm have caused symptoms while those as large as a pea may have quietly passed.
Scientists do not always know the reasons why stones form. These factors may increase your risk of developing stones:
Caucasians are more likely to develop stones than African Americans and, although stones occur slightly more frequently in men, the number of women who get them has also been increasing over the past ten years. Kidney stones typically strike patients between the ages of 20 and 40.
Certain foods may promote stones in susceptible people, but researchers do not believe that foods will cause stones in people who are not otherwise vulnerable.
If someone in your family has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones too. And if you've already had one or more kidney stones, there is a 50% chance that you may develop another one over the next 3 to 5 years.
If you don't drink enough fluids, your urine is likely to have higher concentrations of substances that can form stones. That's why you're more likely to form kidney stones if you live in a hot, dry climate, work in a hot environment, such as a commercial kitchen, or exercise strenuously without replacing lost fluids.
Rare, inherited diseases as well as more common disorders such as gout, chronic urinary tract infections and hyperparathyroidism can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder that causes more calcium to be present in your urine. Stones can form because of obstruction to urinary passage, like the prostate in men or strictures.
Medications can have variable effects on stone formation. Consumption of calcium pills by a person who is at risk for forming stones, certain diuretics and calcium-based antacids may increase the risk of forming stones by increasing the amount of available calcium in the urine.
Treatment of kidney stones varies, depending largely on the size, position and number of stones in your kidney. Luckily, the majority of stones between 2-5 mm will pass without need for any surgical intervention. You should increase your daily fluid intake. Consuming 2-3 quarts of water increases urine production which will dilute the urine. Once stones have passed, no other treatment is usually necessary. We would like you to try to save any passed stones for chemical composition testing.
Renal colic or the sudden flank pain that occurs when small stones start down the ureter can be treated with bed rest and analgesics. Occasionally, you may need stronger pain killers for pain relief. Certain types of stones such as uric acid can be broken up with medical therapy that changes the level of acidity in the urine. The majority of stones are composed of calcium and cannot be dissolved.
Surgery should be reserved for cases of stones that:
Until recently, surgery to remove a stone was very painful and required an open surgical procedure with a long recovery time. Today, the treatment for stones is improved and many options do not require major surgery.
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