What causes the formation of stones?
Kidney stones mostly occur between the ages of 20 and 40. The most common reason for them is the reduction in the urine volume caused by the lack of fluid consumption. Other risk factors include:
Ethnicity
Gender (kidney stones are more common in men)
Previous history of kidney stones (A person who has had a kidney stone once has an increased risk of developing a stone disease in later life)
Family history of kidney stones
Fluid loss (water loss significantly increases the risk of kidney stones by decreasing urine output)
Fatness
A diet high in protein, salt or glucose
Gastric bypass surgery
Inflammatory bowel diseases (may cause increased calcium absorption)
Certain diseases (Hyperparathyroidism may cause increased absorption of calcium and phosphorus; renal tubular acidosis may be a risk factor for kidney stones.)
Is it possible to determine the type of kidney stone?
The type of kidney stone and the risk of a person for developing stones can be determined. With a metabolic evaluation and the analysis of the stone, removed by surgery or dropped naturally, it is possible to determine the risk. The formation of the stones can be reduced by regulating eating habits and, if necessary, by drug supplementation.
Which methods are used in the treatment of stones?
The treatment of the stone disease depends on many factors such as the location, largeness, and the type of the stone. For the stones that are too large to be dropped naturally, surgical methods or, if the stone is suitable, the method of externally breaking down stones with shock wave therapy (ESWL) is used.
Medicinal treatment is used to facilitate the falling of stones small enough to fall and to solve the patient’s pain and infection problems. It is possible to shrink some rare stones with medication, however, medicational treatments do not make any difference in most of them. On the other hand, there are some treatments to prevent or retard the formation of stones.