If you have or have had a kidney stone, you probably already know how painful it can be. But did you know that there are actually different types of kidney stones? Kidneys are a pair of organs that are responsible for filtering out the waste products and water from our blood. A kidney stone or renal calculi is a solid piece of material that is formed from dissolved minerals in the urine. The type of kidney stone will depend on the substances which crystallize and form a solid deposit in the kidney walls. Here is a brief description of four types of kidney stones:
Calcium Type Kidney Stones
The most common type of kidney stone is a result of the precipitation of calcium compounds. In most people, calcium not used by the bones is flushed out by the kidneys. However, in people who are prone to the formation of calcium stones, the calcium stays behind and combines with other compounds to form a solid deposit. When calcium combines with oxalate, calcium oxalate kidney stones are formed. If the amount of oxalate in your urine is high, your physician might recommend limiting the intake of foods with high-oxalate content. These include, but are not limited to, spinach, beets, chocolate, nuts, and okra. The calcium may also combine with phosphate and lead to the formation of calcium phosphate kidney stones.
Struvite Type Kidney Stones
Magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate combine to form this type of kidney stone. It has been found that they are formed due to the presence of urea-splitting bacteria which split urea into ammonia and decrease the acidity of urine. This encourages the formation of struvite stones. Struvite stones are always associated with an infection in the urinary system. So, you will only have a struvite stone if you have an infection in the urinary tract.
Uric Acid Type Kidney Stones
This type of kidney stone is formed when there is a high amount of uric acid present in your urine. Radiolucent stone, high urine acidity, and the presence of uric acid crystals in fresh urine samples are often used as means to diagnose the presence of a uric acid stone. If you have this kind of a solid deposit in your kidneys, your physician might recommend limiting the intake of animal proteins. So, you might need to cut back on meat and poultry.
Cystine Type Kidney Stones
The formations of cystine type of kidney stones are associated with a disease called cystinuria. Cystine is an amino acid which helps in making muscles, nerves, and other parts of the body. In cystinuria, individuals tend to accumulate cystine in their urine. This leads to the formation of cystine stones. These stones are rare. They are difficult to treat and may need treatment throughout life. Cystinuria runs in families. So, if someone in your family has this disease, it is likely that you have inherited this disease.
Whatever the type of kidney stone, if its size is small, it may stay in the kidney, break down into smaller pieces, or pass out of the body. However, if the size is large, your physician might recommend surgical options which may involve sending shock waves to break down the stone or tunnel surgery to remove it. An ureteroscope may also be used to remove or destroy it. Drinking at least 12 glasses of water and limiting the intake of oxalate-rich foods is recommended if you are prone to kidney stones. If you have kidney stones, natural remedies may help to flush it out of your body. However, extreme pain, blood in the urine, fevers and chills, and a burning sensation while urinating should not be ignored and a physician should immediately be consulted.
