Kinds Of Kidney Stones

The different kinds of kidney stones pose a threat to your health. These minute stones are called such because they are hard and resemble pebbles in the kidney area. While many kidney stones are harmless and non-malignant, the person may experience pain while urinating, and may even develop other diseases because of the difficulty in excreting waste through the kidneys. Understanding the kinds of kidney stones that could form inside the body is one of the best things a person can do to prevent development. For more information on this topic, read on.

There are four different kinds of kidney stones, classified according to their main composition. The first among these are calcium stones, which comprise around eighty percent of all kinds of kidney stones that develop in the kidney of a human being. Calcium stones are among the most common types of kidney stones, and they comprise calcium phosphate along with other different minerals. Other types include uric acid stones, cysteine stones and struvite stones.

Most people that develop calcium stones are those that are prone to hyperparathyroidism, which is one of the most common risk factors of calcium stone development. The individual may also get this condition if there are high quantities of oxalate in his blood, which increases the risk of developing calcium stones tremendously.

Kidney stones are produced whenever the body exceeds its normal levels of minerals such as oxalate, uric acid and calcium. These un-excreted substances stay in the body, and eventually end up in the kidneys, which is a waste processing zone. When these minerals exceed normal quantities, they crystallize among the tissues of the kidney along with the other elements that comprise urine. Sometimes, these kinds of kidney stones are small enough to be excreted along with normal urine, but often, they are too big and remain inside the kidney indefinitely.

Approximately 50% of the kidney stones cases are due to the high accumulation of uric acid inside the body. Uric acid is a normal component of food, especially seafoods, wine, beer, meat, beans and vegetables. The body is naturally able to pass uric acid through the urine, but some others have underlying conditions that prevent proper excretion of this substance. There may also be too much of this substance in the blood that the kidney is hard pressed to excrete all of it.

Age is one of the major risk factors of uric acid kidney stones. Aging individuals are less able to excrete uric acid, especially if the person’s lifestyle is decadent and unhealthy. The first symptoms include low urine output and discomfort while urinating. Some people don’t show these symptoms at first, but show other symptoms like the bulging of joints in the feet and knees, where the uric acid crystallize.

In order to prevent the formation of kidney stones, a person must avoid eating organ meat, seafoods and legumes, which are known to have high amounts of uric acid. Proper diet and exercise will help he body get rid of this waste material properly. It is also recommended to moderate the intake of calcium tablets to the recommended dosage, especially for people with a family history of hyperthyroidism.