SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES OF KIDNEY STONES

Understanding Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are pieces of solid material that form when substances that are normally dissolved in the urine becomes highly concentrated. The solid material is often formed from calcium, oxalate, and phosphate. Kidney stones may be only a few millimeters in diameter or the size of a small stone.

Kidney stones are most common in men, but now the statistics show more cases of kidney stones in women and children. Dietary factors may play a role in increasing the number of cases of kidney stones.

1. Without Symptoms
Many people who suffer from kidney stones without any symptoms (asymptomatic). If you have kidney stones are very small, usually not be known or felt. Sometimes these small stones found if you undergo imaging tests (X-ray, CT scan, or ultrasound) for reasons not related to kidney problems. Your doctor may take a "wait and see" if it is found that you have kidney stones without disturbing symptoms.

2. Pain
Pain due to kidney stones may feel mild to severe. Larger kidney stones are more likely to cause pain when it comes down to the ureter and out of the body through urine. The most common site of pain related to kidney stones is the lower back (on both sides), lower abdomen and groin area, and under the rib cage. The pain may come surging. You also may often experience painful urination.

3. Nausea and Vomiting
The pain of kidney stones may be so severe that you may also experience nausea and vomiting. When a kidney stone moves into the ureter and block the flow of urine, causing pain that is described as worse than childbirth. Severe pain, nausea, and vomiting should be treated with strong pain medications, antiemetics, and intravenous fluids.

4. Fever and Chills
Fever and chills sometimes be a symptom of kidney stones. These symptoms are troubling symptoms that require immediate medical evaluation because of fever and chills may mean that you also have an infection (potentially life-threatening if not treated). You should seek treatment immediately if you have a fever and chills associated with kidney stones, even if you are only experiencing mild pain.

5. Blood in Urine
Blood in the urine, which is called "hematuria," is another common symptom of kidney stones. When kidney stones pass through the urinary tract, it irritates the ureter and cause bleeding. Your urine may look pink or red depending on the severity of bleeding. Blood in the urine is a serious symptom that ensures rapid evaluation given your doctor.

Causes of Kidney Stones

There are several factors that cause kidney stones. However, most are caused by things related to diet. Consuming foods rich in calcium, oxalate, purine and excessive salt can increase the risk of kidney stones. Excessive consumption of these foods is a major cause of kidney stone formation of calcium (oxalate or phosphate), magnesium ammonium phosphate stones, uric acid stones and cystine stones (cystine).

Calcium kidney stones are generally to be found in people who ate foods rich in oxalates such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, cocoa, and spinach. While uric acid kidney stones higher likelihood suffered by people who often eat foods such as meat, offal and marine products such as sea food.

Shortage of fluid intake or strenuous exercise without adequate fluid replacement afterwards also the leading cause of kidney stone disease. Lack of fluids (dehydration) will result in kidney react by retaining as much fluid and electrolytes in the body so that the amount of urine produced will be slightly colored, concentrated and eventually will facilitate the formation of kidney stones.

Other conditions associated with an increase in the formation of kidney stones kidney disease such as renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria and hyperoxaluria. People with inflammatory bowel disease or who have had gastric bypass or ostomy surgery are also more likely to develop kidney stones.

Besides, it is equally important factor is the talent or genetic inheritance seseseorang. If one of your relatives suffer from kidney stones or urinary stones, you will also have a greater tendency of the same disease than others.