The Causes of Kidney Stones

The human body is amazing! It is comparable to a well oiled machine that reacts even to the slightest imbalance and it has the ability to heal itself even under the most devastating injuries. One of the many things that the human body can do that amazes me is the way it can control the behavior of blood and and other fluids in it. This trait is actually attributed to the function of the kidneys. The kidneys are one of the organs in the body that come in pairs and is also one of the organs that can stand alone when its twin is destroyed.

This organ plays a vital role in regulating fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Nephrons, being its basic unit, filter blood at 180 liters per day and it reabsorbs approximately 99% of this filtrate to produce 30 ml urine per hour. This organ functions well in the body by maintaining equilibrium but if this organ has defects, then it will put the body in disequilibrium. One of the things that could make a kidney defective is the presence of kidney stones or otherwise known as renal calculi. This condition is described as the presence of stones in the urinary tract that produce clinical manifestations when the flow of urine becomes obstructed. This is more common in males since the prostate gland hypertrophies at the age of 50 and above thus increasing residual urine volume or stasis and predisposing the precipitation of organic crystals.

Calcium stones are the most common constituent of renal calculi. The manifestations of this condition would include blood in the urine or hematuria, nausea and vomiting, sharp and sudden severe pain (may be intermittent depending on the stone movement), and pain that radiates in the flank area. There are many factors the lead to the development of kidney stones. Some of the causes would include a sedentary lifestyle. Diet also plays a big role as high-protein intake coupled with decrease fluid intake causes build up of crystals without adequate fluids to clear them. The decrease in intake will also decrease the urinary output and and increase the perspiration during warm months. Metabolic abnormalities can also be traced as a cause since they could drastically increase the levels of calcium, uric acid, citric or oxaluric acid in the body. These types of acid greatly contribute to the build up of crystals which eventually form into stones. Kidney stones may be treated by a variety of ways.

The primary intervention would have to be the treatment of pain using analgesics. It is believed that stones smaller than 4 millimeters can pass through spontaneously. Having a complete dietary change and increase fluid intake would help but for the more severe cases, surgery may be needed. Cystoscopy, lithotripsy and extra corporeal shock-wave lithotripsy are only some of the ways that the stones can be removed. Kidney stones are easy to prevent and they are only caused by poor diet and lifestyle. Creating a healthier lifestyle can actually spare a person from all the pain and cost of expensive health care nowadays.