Thursday, April 1, 2010

Kidney Stone Causes.

Our kidneys function as filters in our body. It has nephrons or fine tube-like filters which excretes the waste from the blood and produces the urine. These nephrons then act as filters of the blood and the wastes collected by pass through the ureter and into the bladder where it becomes urine. In turn, the kidneys expel the urine out of the system. The kidney stones causes are therefore those that detract the kidney from performing these functions.

Kidney stones may normally form in the kidneys unnoticed. In fact, they can remain unnoticed if the size of the kidney stone is very small; usually the size can be smaller than a grain of sand. If the kidney expels this size from its system, it will be barely noticeable at all and will not cause any problems or complications.Still, it is best for us to know the kidney stone causes.

However, if the kidney stone is stuck in the ureter, this will now have a snowball effect. The kidney stones are in crystal form and can get into contact with calcium and salt sediments that can cause it to enlarge. This will damage the ureter and lead to a high probability of infection.

Several circumstances may cause kidney stones but there are still no proven explanations as to why they form. The following are only probable causes:

Hereditary reasons – Genetic traits passed on from generation to generation, can cause kidney stone problems. Some are born with high susceptibility to kidney stone formation because they have different ways of absorbing minerals in their body. Others have poor calcium absorption while some have poor metabolism and have difficulty managing certain chemicals.

Examples of these chemicals are cystine (a type of amino acid), oxalate (a form of salt), and uric acid. These substances can stick together and crystallize. If they form crystals, then there is a higher possibility of having kidney stone problems.

Climate – If a person is lives in a place where there is a very dry climate, he tends to dehydrate easily. Once a person is dehydrated, body will excrete less liquid and thus the urine may come in a more concentrated form. If the urine is concentrated, the minerals and chemicals come in closer contact with each other and may have the opportunity to crystallize and cause damage.

Diet – A person’s diet has to change if he is already suffering from kidney stone problems. For example, if you are already suffering from kidney stones caused by uric acid and calcium stones, then, it is best to avoid foods rich in calcium and uric acid.

Over the Counter medication – Medications like antacids and diuretic pills may form kidney stones. These medications can contain a lot of calcium and may cause calcium-based kidney stones.

Having only one kidney or an abnormally shaped kidney – People who had their kidney removed or donated can have a very high chance of getting kidney stone problems because their kidney will have to take on the function of the missing one and will need to work double time. An abnormally shaped kidney may also mean that the other kidney will have to work double time.

Some of the kidney stones causes may promote the occurrence of crystallines in the renal system. Minimizing the risk of forming a stone that will be block the ureter is possible by avoiding dehydration. Keeping one’s urine dilute will not allow the formation of a stone nucleus.

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