Kidney Stones: Problems and Solutions

In America, about one person in ten will build up a kidney stone within their lifetime. In 2010, kidney stones were accountable for more than 600,000 emergency room visitors. The doctors with Metropolitan Urological Specialists in Washington, Florissant, and St. Louis, Missouri have some important information to keep you in the loop on your potential risks.

A kidney stone is just mineral deposit that forms in the urinary tract. Kidney stones form when crystals, which are present in the urine, start to be stuck to each other and gradually build up into a rock-like mass. At the start, kidney stones are rather little in size, but with time, as more and more crystals join, they're able to grow quite large.

Why is it that kidney stones develop?

The deposits that form kidney stones are made from substances normally seen in the urine. These compounds include calcium, oxalate, phosphate, uric acid, and other chemical substances. Your kidneys most frequently excrete these compounds into the urine. However, when their concentration in the urine is really high, these chemicals don't stay dissolved and rather will crystallize and precipitate outside of the urine. There are some other components in the urine generally known as inhibitors which help to keep the crystals from staying together. If the concentration of crystals is too high or the relative level of inhibitors is too low, a kidney stone will develop. Numerous factors can contribute to your likelihood of having kidney stone, including your familial genetic predisposition, eating habits, and fluid intake, where you live, as well as your work environment.

What are the different kinds of kidney stones?

There are various a variety of kidney stones, each having distinctive chemical composition.

The majority of kidney stones have calcium. Calcium stones are made of calcium that is chemically bound to either oxalate (calcium oxalate stones) or phosphate (calcium phosphate stones). Among these, calcium oxalate is much more common. Pure calcium phosphate stones are the rarest and usually show an underlying illness or metabolic condition. The most commonly known stone composition is mix of mostly calcium oxalate with a bit of calcium phosphate.

About 15 percent of kidney stones don't have calcium. These include uric acid stones, struvite stones, and cystine stones.

Just how typical are kidney stones?

In the USA, about 1 individual in ten will develop a kidney stone in their lifetime. In 2010, kidney stones were to blame for over 600,000 emergency room visitors. We understand that men are more predisposed to have kidney stones than ladies. Those with caucasian origin are five times more prone to have kidney stones than African-Americans. Stone incidence peaks between 40 and 50 years of age and generally seems to decline.

What are my chances of recurrence?

Kidney stones tend to recur. If a man has already established one kidney stone, and does nothing to reduce his risk of recurrence, research has revealed he's got about a 60% to seventy percent chance of having another. If a man has had two kidney stones, the likelihood of recurrence reach more than ninety percent. The chances of recurrence are a little lower for women.

There are certainly actions you can take to seriously lessen your chance of recurrence. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the experts at Metropolitan Urological Specialists. They have offices in St. Louis, Washington, and Florissant, MO.