7 Things To Know When Asking What Causes Kidney Stones?
There are lots of factors that cause kidney stones. One major cause is lack of water in the body which is known as dehydration. The body is composed of 65% water, so it plays a very important role in a healthy organ in the body.
The kidney plays a very important part in the urinary system. It is responsible for filtration, absorption and excretion of waste liquid in our body in the form of urine.
A kidney stone is just that. A little rock in the kidney. These stones form when certain chemicals in the body clump together. They can either stay or travel to the urinary tract.
These stones can be of different sizes. Some can be the size of a pea and not cause any pain yet others can be big and cause lots of pain, bleeding and block the flow of urine.
For better knowledge and understanding, I gathered different causes of kidney stones, such as the following:
* Lack of Water or Dehydration – not enough water in the body
* Hereditary – this is where someone in your family had them and passed it onto you
* Location – people who can’t get to water don’t get the amount they need
* Medication – there are medications out there that can cause these stones to form
* Wrong Diet – wrong consumption of food and overeating. There are foods that are high in salts, calcium and acid. Yes these minerals have other benefits in our body, but too much of it will cause kidney stones.
* Underlying Illness – having an illness can also trigger stones and watch what medications you get for your illness
* Water Fluoridation – if you drink water that contains fluoride then you can get these stones
Anyone can get a kidney stone, but it is more likely for a person who is:
* Male
* Caucasian
* Very overweight
* Have had kidney infections before
* Has a family member with kidney stones
* Have had kidney stones before
* Eats a lot of animal protein
* Doesn’t drink enough fluids
Other times other meds and conditions can place you at risk for developing kidney stones.
Kidney stones are a common problem, affecting about ten percent of people in the United States. There are different types of stones, and a variety of reasons why they form.
Doctors have placed the stones in four different families based on their chemical composition:
Calcium oxalate stones – These stones are the most common and make up for more than 75% of all kidney stones. They are more common in men than in women, and are more common in adults than in children.
In fifty percent of people with calcium stones, kidney stones form because of an increase in the amount of calcium in the urine. (which probably is inherited) For other people, calcium oxalate stones are formed by another condition such as extra parathyroid hormone, high uric acid levels, bowel disease, surgery for obesity, or kidney problems.
Struvite stones – These stones are made of ammonia and magnesium. They are related to urinary tract infections which are caused by certain bacteria. Struvite stones are used to account for 10-15% of kidney stones, but now they are becoming less common because they are better recognized and treated.
These stones are more common in women and can develop mainly in people who have long-term bladder catheters.
Uric acid stones – These stones make up 5-80% of kidney stones and are more common in men. They form mainly because of the high levels of uric acid in the urine. They occur in people who have gout. This is a disorder where uric acid builds up in the joints and blood.
Cystine stones – These are rare stones to get and make up only 1% of kidney stones. They are composed of the amino acid cystine. This amino acid is a building block of proteins, and are caused by an inherited defect.
Life is too beautiful to waste on illnesses and staying healthy means you have more time to enjoy in life.
If you love life, take care of your body. As they say live life to the fullest by staying healthy and being sick free. : )
It is really important to know what causes kidney stones so you will know how to handle this disease. If you know of anyone or are someone that suffers from kidney stones, then you need to go to http://symptomsofkidneystone.com and find out how this disease effects so many. With proper knowledge, kidney stones can be handled with ease.
