Kidney Stones By Arslaan Afridi

What are Kidney Stones? The main function of the kidneys is the filter our blood and remove extra waste which the body doesn’t require (mainly found in urine). They form crystals that stick together and form rock-like structures, hence the name Kidney Stones. Kidney Stones all come in different shapes and sizes.

What causes Kidney Stones? There are many different reasons why Kidney Stones are caused and for the most part doctors are unsure what the reason is. Some of the main reasons are when calcium or uric acid make a large part of urine, but stones can also develop when the chemicals are at normal levels. A more uncommon reason for the cause of Kidney Stones is medications and the reasons are unknown, one disease is Cancer.

Types of Kidney Stones There are four main types of Kidney Stones which are: 1. Calcium Stones-These are the most common type of kidney stone, they are made by combining oxalate with calcium 2. Struvit Stones- Mainly caused by urine infections and are quite large compared to other types of Kidney Stones 3. Cystine Stones- These are the rarest of all the Kidney Stones and do not look much like stones. 4. Uric acid Stones-Mainly found in children, there are the softest type of Kidney Stone

The affects of Kidney Stones There are two main types of distresses caused by Kidney Stones which are:  Blockage of the flow of urine  Increased Chance of Kidney Infection, which can cause the blood stream to be infected with unhealthy types of bacteria.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones The first and most obvious symptom is quite a lot of pain (not only discomfort). This process usually occurs when the Kidney Stone moves into the urinary tract. This pain is known as ‘renal colic’. The pain can be found throughout our body, but mainly the near the groin. Other common symptoms:  Blood in the urine, which can be seen or found with testing.  Nausea and vomiting.  Shivers, sweating and fever.  An urgent feeling of needing to urinate.

Detection of Kidney Stones There are three main ways in which a Kidney Stone can be found, removed and analysed: 1. Ultrasound 2. CT Scans 3. X-Rays When a stone is passed from your body in can be extremely helpful for your doctor, because it helps them decide on a treatment

Treatment of Kidney Stones Most of the time, Kidney Stone removal does not require surgery, and they pass themselves (within 3-6 weeks). However if they do not pass themselves, then it will most likely cause some of the earlier mentioned symptoms, and you are in urgent need of surgery.

Facts & Figures Some facts and figures of Kidney Stones are:  Approximately 4-8% of Australians suffer from Kidney Stones at some point in their lifetime.  The risk of producing Kidney Stones is 1 in 10 for men and 1 in 35 for women (Australian)  The chance of having repeated Kidney Stones is 5- 10% each year  30-50% people with a Kidney Stone will receive another Kidney Stone in the next 5 years

References  Stones Stones  nes/article.htm nes/article.htm  nagement/KidneyStones/tabid/838/Defa ult.aspx nagement/KidneyStones/tabid/838/Defa ult.aspx   atment.html atment.html  Science Textbook (8.9)