Define Kidney Stones

The kidney stones are crystal-like substances formed out of salts and minerals that your body failed to excrete in perspiration or in urine. There are different types of kidney stones, such as those made of calcium, oxalate and uric acid, each with its own effects.
Normally, increasing your water intake can help prevent kidney stone formation, though some require medical treatment, which includes a therapeutic diet and surgery.

Definition

• Kidney stones, also known as calculi, form in the draining tubes of your urinary tract or kidneys because of excessive mineral excretion, infections or kidney disorders.
  Normally, kidney stones form without recurrence. However, in extreme cases, calculi may become bigger until they fill the draining tube connected to the urinary tract.

Types

• The most common types of kidney stones consist of a combination of excess minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, oxalate and magnesium. For instance, calcium stones may form when you consume excessive amounts of calcium supplements and don't drink enough water.
  Another type of kidney stone forms when uric acid is in excess, while a less common type is inherited and may be characterized by abnormal levels of cystine or xanthine. Accordingly they are known as cystine stones or xanthine stones, respectively.

Prevention

• According to Harvard Medical School, "the most important thing you can do is drink plenty of fluids, specifically water." Furthermore, drinking lots of water---up to 12 8-ounce glasses per day---may help stop recurrence of kidney stones. However, it is still best to consult with your physician.

Effects

• Typically, the first symptom of a kidney stone, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, "is extreme pain, which begins suddenly when a stone moves in the urinary tract and blocks the flow of urine."
  Effects can include tissue damage, which in turn causes blood to appear in the urine. Other complications include difficulty urinating, kidney infections and continued tissue damage that may lead to kidney malfunction.

Treatment

• Generally, small, single kidney stones are excreted in urine spontaneously; however, bigger ones may require medical treatment. In the early 1980s new treatments were developed, including ultrasonic probes and percutaneous removal therapy, which are more effective than traditional surgery.
  In percutaneous removal therapy, a nephroscope is used to view the kidney and insert instruments such as forceps and loops to pull out the kidney stone through the skin.
  The ultrasonic probe is inserted to break up large kidney stones. In the late 1980s, laser lights with optical fibers were introduced to break up kidney stones. Then newer treatments were developed that may include a combination of therapeutic diet, medicine and surgery.