Question: What is (are) What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: The urinary tract is the bodys drainage system for removing wastes and extra water. The urinary tract includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Every day, the two kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra water. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The bladder stores urine until releasing it through urination. When the bladder empties, urine flows out of the body through a tube called the urethra at the bottom of the bladder.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What causes What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: Kidney stones are caused by high levels of calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus in the urine. Some foods may cause kidney stones in certain people. You may be more likely to get a kidney stone if you have - a condition that affects levels of substances in your urine that can cause stones to form - a family history of kidney stones - repeating, or recurrent, urinary tract infections - blockage of your urinary tract - digestive problems You may also be more likely to get a kidney stone if you dont drink enough fluids or if you take certain medicines.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What is (are) What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: Doctors have found four main types of kidney stones: - The most common types of stones contain calcium. Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. Calcium that is not used by the bones and muscles goes to the kidneys. In most people, the kidneys flush out the extra calcium with the rest of the urine. People who have calcium stones keep the calcium in their kidneys. The calcium that stays behind joins with other waste products to form a stone. People can have calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones. Calcium oxalate stones are more common. - A uric acid stone may form when the urine contains too much acid. People who eat a lot of meat, fish, and shellfish may get uric acid stones. - A struvite stone may form after you have a kidney infection. - Cystine stones result from a genetic disorder, meaning a problem passed from parent to child. The disorder causes cystine to leak through the kidneys and into the urine.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What are the symptoms of What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: You may have a kidney stone if you - have pain while urinating - see blood in your urine - feel a sharp pain in your back or lower abdomenthe area between your chest and hips The pain may last for a short or long time. You may have nausea and vomiting with the pain. If you have a small stone that passes on its own easily, you may not have symptoms at all.
Source: NIDDK

Question: How to prevent What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: To prevent kidney stones, you need to know what caused your kidney stone. Your doctor may ask you to try to catch the kidney stone as it passes in your urine. The kidney stone can then be sent to a lab to find out what type of stone it is. If you have treatment in the hospital and the doctor removes the stone, it will also be sent to a lab for testing. Your doctor may ask you to collect your urine for 24 hours after the stone has passed or been removed. Your doctor can then measure how much urine you produce in a day and mineral levels in the urine. You are more likely to form stones if you dont make enough urine each day or have a problem with mineral levels. Once you know what type of kidney stone you had, you can make changes in your eating, diet, and nutrition and take medicines to prevent future kidney stones.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: You can help prevent kidney stones by making changes in how much you consume of the following: - fluids - sodium - animal protein - calcium - oxalate Drinking enough fluids each day is the best way to help prevent most types of kidney stones. You should drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid a day. If you had cystine stones, you may need to drink even more. Though water is best, other fluids may also help prevent kidney stones, such as orange juice or lemonade. Talk with your health care provider if you cant drink the recommended amount due to other health problems, such as urinary incontinence, urinary frequency, or kidney failure. You can make the following changes to your diet based on the type of kidney stone you had: Calcium Oxalate Stones - reduce sodium - reduce animal protein, such as meat, eggs, and fish - get enough calcium from food or take calcium supplements with food - avoid foods high in oxalate, such as spinach, rhubarb, nuts, and wheat bran Calcium Phosphate Stones - reduce sodium - reduce animal protein - get enough calcium from food or take calcium supplements with food Uric Acid Stones - limit animal protein More information about how changes in diet affect kidney stone formation is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention. Medicines Your doctor may prescribe medicines based on the type of kidney stone you had and any health problems you have that make you more likely to form a stone.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for What I need to know about Kidney Stones ?
Answer: - A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in a kidney when there are high levels of certain substances in the urine. These substances are normally found in the urine and do not cause problems at lower levels. - Kidney stones are caused by high levels of calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus in the urine. - You may have a kidney stone if you - have pain while urinating - see blood in your urine - feel a sharp pain in your back or lower abdomen - If you have a small stone that passes on its own easily, you may not have symptoms at all. - To diagnose kidney stones, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your medical history. The doctor may perform urine, blood, and imaging tests to complete the diagnosis. - The treatment for kidney stones usually depends on their size and what they are made of. You may need pain medicine. You should also drink lots of fluids. If you have a large kidney stone or your urinary tract is blocked, the urologist can remove the stone or break it into small pieces with shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, or percutaneous nephrolithotomy. - To prevent kidney stones, you need to know what caused your kidney stone. - Once you know what type of kidney stone you had, you can make changes in your eating, diet, and nutrition and take medicines to prevent future kidney stones.
Source: NIDDK