Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Types, Causes & Treatment for Renal Calculi

Kidney stones (renal calculi or crystals) are solid mineral deposits that accumulate in the urinary tract. According to the National Institutes of Health, ten percent of Americans experience kidney stones during their lifetime. Seven to ten hospital admissions out of every thousand are related to kidney stone symptoms or kidney stone treatment.

 

Usually, the renal calculi pass through the urinary tract without causing any kidney stone symptoms. However, if the stones obstruct one of the ureters, they can cause the urinary tract to go into spasm, causing a great deal of pain in various areas of the body. Large stones can cause obstructions anywhere within the urinary tract, eventually causing organ damage and even renal failure.

Everyone has the potential to develop kidney stones. However, the typical individual is a male Caucasian between the ages of twenty and sixty. A family and personal history of renal calculi formation tends to increase the risk; sixty percent of people who develop calcium-based calculi develop a second stone within ten years. Low liquid intake is a high risk factor for kidney stone formation (another reason to drink at least eight 8 oz glasses of water a day!). The incidence of kidney stones is highest during the hot, dry months of summer when the urine is more concentrated.

 

This section is divided into multiple articles covering:

To research other kidney disease topics, please use the morefocus search box, or see the related topics listed to the left.