How+Do+Kidney+Stones+Form?


 * __How do kidney stones form? __**

**Janna Golzari, December 14th 2010 ** As mentioned by the name, kidney stones are typically developed in the kidneys and urinary tract during the formation of urine. Originally, as blood flows into the kidneys, specialized tubes within the kidneys, called nephrons, allow fluid from the blood and certain substances dissolved into the fluid, to escape the body in the form of urine. However, in particular cases, when there are high concentrations of stone-forming substances such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate and struvite present in the urine, those dissolved fluids from the blood begin to solidify and in result, create small crystals within the kidney. Eventually, these crystals begin to bind together and form a relatively large solid mass, known as a kidney stone. In reference to this, depending on the body’s specific condition, kidney stones can be composed of a variety of different substances. These specific types of kidney stones include: calcium stones, struvite stones, uric acid stones and crystine stones.

__Calcium Stones: __ Remarkably, about 80% of all kidney stones are calcium stones. Such stones are composed of calcium phosphate or calcium oxalate and occur when high levels of calcium are found in the urine. These infiltrated amounts of calcium tend to upset the balance of acid in the urine, and thus cause the formation of such stones.

__Struvite Stones: __ Struvite stones represent 10% of all kidney stones and are typically made of magnesium ammonium phosphate. These particular stones are formed when there is an infection or the presence of bacteria in the urinary tract. Such bacteria causes a substance called urease to form which in effect, makes the urine more alkaline than acidic. This allows the struvite to settle in the kidney and thus produce struvite stones. Struvite stones are also known to grow extremely large in size.

__Uric Acid Stones: __ Stones composed of uric acid represent around 5% of all kidney stones. They are formed once large amounts of uric acid circulate in the bloodstream. For at these high levels, uric acid can no longer dissolve in the kidney and thus the solid bits of uric acid begin to group together within the urine, and form a stone.

__Crystine Stones: __Overall, Crystine stones aren’t very common and only represent about 2% of all kidney stones. As crystine is a type of amino acid, crystine stones solely form because of certain abnormalities in the body that process amino acids in the diet. Such high amounts of amino acids in the urine thus cause the formation of crystine stones.

In addition, as certain levels of acidity or alkalinity can cause certain types of kidney stones to form, the absence of pyrophosphates, citrates and magnesium in the body (which normally prevent the growth of crystals) can also cause the formation of stones. Finally, kidney stones are also prone to develop due to certain signs of cancerous cells, abnormalities within the body and disturbances in the body’s metabolism (although, sometimes it is practically impossible to determine why certain kidney stones have developed within the body).

In all cases however, kidney stones serve as an obstruction in the urinary tract and block the flow of urine once they are carried down the ureter from the kidney to the bladder. In special cases, relatively small kidney stones are able to pass down the ureter and are thus removed by urination. However, in most cases, when the kidney stone is big enough to provide a substantial blockage within the ureter, the ureter is subjected to a lot of pressure and in return swells up, spasms and inflicts severe pain. In most cases, this is referred to as a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) as the blockage of urine also allows additional bacteria to build up within the kidney and ureter. Typically, symptoms of such an infection or even kidney stones in general, do not occur until the kidney stone has reached or passed the ureter. However in almost all the cases, people with kidney stones are subjected to experience severe pain upon urination and even blood in the urine. In the primary stages however, people most often complain of pain in the lower ribs and hip bone area.

Other than experiencing the symptoms of kidney stones however, the presence of kidney stones can also be detected by conducting x-rays of the body. Usually, patients are injected with an iodine dye into their veins that lights up the urinary system. When conducting the x-ray, the presence of a kidney stone will then be confirmed if the dye indicates a stop or dramatic decrease in the urine flow. Once again, if a kidney stone is small enough, it can be passed through urination. In this particular case, patients are usually given fluids (through ingestion of injection) in order to pass the stone more quickly. As the process can still be excruciatingly painful however, patients are often given morphine when passing the stone. However, when kidney stones are ruled to be relatively large, they are often treated by a process called Lithotripsy, in which a small fibber-optic instrument is inserted through the urethra and into the ureter. Once is has reached the ureter, the device will then transmit a series of high-voltage shock waves that turn the stone into a powdery substance that can be easily passed. In extreme cases however, for instance when the stone begins to significantly increase in size, cause extensive and unbearable pain and completely block urine flow, the kidney stone must be removed through open surgery.

As for the prevention of kidney stones, it is recommended that people avoid large intakes of dairy products containing extensive amounts of calcium, refraining from foods that contain large amounts of oxalate (ex. Chocolate, soda, tea, peanuts etc.), and large intakes of poultry and red wine that may increase the amount of uric acid within the body. Dehydration or extensive exercise without the adequate intake of fluids also increases the risk of kidney stones. Thus, it is highly recommended that people drink a substantial amount of water everyday, as water dilutes stone forming salts within the urine.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Interesting Facts: __

· <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">5-10% of people develop kidney stones · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">People who have had kidney stones in the past are more likely to get them again. Therefore it is recommended that they drink around 12 glasses of water a day · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Having kidney stones is most likely to be passed down through inheritance · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kidney stones are most common for Caucasians, males and people over the age of 30 · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The medical term for a kidney stone is called: //renal calculi// · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The condition of having kidney stones is called: //urolithiasis// · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kidney stones can be so small that they sometimes go undetected ( these are called silent stones) · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kidney stones can grow to the size of a gulf ball · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Extremely large stones are called: //Staghorn stones//

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Bibliography: __** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Carson-DeWitt, Rosalyn, MD. (2006). //Kidney stones//. “//Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine”//. //Academic OneFile//. Retrieved December 11th 2010. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28KE%2CNone%2C13%29kidney+stones%3AAnd%3ALQE%3D%28AC%2CNone%2C8%29fulltext%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=Relevance&searchType=BasicSearchForm&tabID=T001&prodId=IPS&searchId=R3&currentPosition=1&userGroupName=ko_k12pr_d63&docId=A149788197&docType=IAC&contentSet=IAC-Documents>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">eHealthMD. //Kidney Stones.// Retrieved December 6th 2010. []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Simon, H. (May 22 2006). //Kidney Stones in-depth.// Retrieved December 11th 2010. []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Stoppler, M. (July 1st 2008). //Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.// Retrieved December 6th 2010. <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46662>