Kidney Stones - What Are The Main Causes?

Kidney stones are hard, crystalline mineral development, which form inside the kidney and may even travel down the urinary tract. In medical terms, they are called as nephrolithiasis. Usually, kidney stones happen because of the decrease in urine volume or due to an excess of substances in the urine which are stone-forming in nature. What you must certainly know about this condition is that, dehydration is said to be a primary risk factor for kidney stones.

What are the causes of kidney stones?

When the urine contains increased amounts of crystal forming substances, it is then that the kidney stones are formed. They include calcium, oxalate and uric acid in amounts which the fluid in the urine cannot dilute. Your urine may also lack the substances which help in prevention of crystals from sticking together thus, increasing the chances of kidney stones formation.

Your urine balance can change due to several factors including:

1. Consuming insufficient amount of water makes the salts, minerals and other substances present in the urine to stick together, which may lead to the formation of a stone.

2. Your normal urine balance may get interrupted due to several health conditions, which lead to kidney stone formation. Diseases such as gout or certain inflammatory bowel diseases can also cause kidney stones.

3. There are many cases of kidney stones that are hereditary and run in families, affecting family members over many generations.

4. Also, a rare cause of kidney stone formation is the overproduction of hormones by the parathyroid glands, which results in increased levels of calcium leading to calcium kidney stones.

Four types of kidney stones

There are four types of kidney stones, which may happen due to several causes.

1. Calcium stones: They are the most common form of kidney stones. Excessive calcium in the urine is the reason why they occur. This may happen due to an inherited condition known as hypercalciuria, the overreaction of the parathyroid gland, kidney diseases, several cancers or from a condition known as sarcoidosis. The stones may be large and smooth or rough.

2.  Struvite stones: These stones are caused due to infections. Usually, they occur after a urinary tract infection. This form of kidney stone is more common among the female population.

3. Uric acid stones: These stones occur due to large amounts of uric acid in the urine. It may occur from having a high protein diet, from a health condition called gout or from a hereditary condition where the amount of uric acid in urine rises.

4. Cystine stones: These are rare kidney stones and occur due to a hereditary health condition known as cystinuria.

Now you know that kidney stones happen due to the change in balance of water, salts and minerals, which are present in the urine. Not consuming enough amount of water is often the most common cause behind kidney stones. So  you must ensure that you drink lots of water throughout the day and prevent kidney stones from developing.