Excess of Chemicals that are not flushed out of our metabolism system through urine get collected in the kidney. It would form crystals and in certain time harden into kidney stones. Based on the chemical composition there are four major types of kidney stones.
# 1. Uric Acid Stones
High concentration of uric acid in urine form uric acid stones. When there is problem in purine metabolism, excess of uric acid is formed. This excess uric acid gets deposited on the inner walls of kidney to form uric acid stones. Uric acid stones are more frequently connected with conditions such as gout.
# 2. Cystine Stones
Formation of cystine stones is a rare hereditary disease. Cystine stones are formed due to a genetic abnormality. Amino acids are needed in the human body system to make proteins. Due to a defective gene, amino acids are sometimes not absorbed properly by kidneys. The unabsorbed amino acid or cystine builds up to form cystine stones.
# 3. Calcium Stones
Calcium can construct up to excess in the human body due to an excessive intake of calcium in food and vitamins. After being absorbed by bones and other system, this excess calcium is excreted through the urine. Sometimes excess calcium combines with other chemicals like oxalate and phosphate to form calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones. Calcium stones are the most common among kidney stones. Calcium phosphate stones can be easily dissolved in acidic urine. Whereas calcium oxalate stones do not dissolve in acidic urine.
# 4. Struvite Stones
Struvite stones are formed due to infection in the kidney. Certain bacteria have the ability to convert urea in urine into ammonium. Ammonium then combines with phosphate and magnesium to form stones. Bacteria that cause this infection get trapped in the stone. This allows for more ammonium to be produced and the infectious stones grow.
Precaution Tips :
Drinking adequate quantities of water every day could help kidney duties and prevented our body from unwanted kidney stones problem in the future.
Compile and re-written based on an article by Seth Miller