Kidney Stones
Urinary System: A group of organs in the body concerned with filtering out excess fluid and other substances from the bloodstream. The substances are filtered out from the body in the form of urine. Urine is a liquid produced by the kidneys, collected in the bladder and excreted through the urethra.
|
What are Kidney Stones?
|
History
|
People Affected
|
Signs and Symptoms
|
Cures and Treatments
How it affects daily life: The pain is sudden and can stay for a very long time until the stone is able to pass on its own, or inward the aid of drugs or surgery. It is extremely painful to pass without medication. |
Etiology: Kidney stones form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances — such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid — than the fluid in your urine can dilute. At the same time, your urine may lack substances that prevent crystals from sticking together, creating an ideal environment for kidney stones to form.
- Struvite stones form in response to an infection, such as a urinary tract infection.
- Cystine stones form in people with a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of certain amino acids (cystinuria).
- Uric acid stones can form in people who don't drink enough fluids or who lose too much fluid, those who eat a high-protein diet, and those who have gout. Certain genetic factors also may increase your risk of uric acid stones.
- Dietary factors, high doses of vitamin D, intestinal bypass surgery and several metabolic disorders can increase the concentration of calcium or oxalate in urine. Calcium stones may also occur in the form of calcium phosphate.
Number of Americans affected: About 500,000
How it affects the body system: As they pass through your urinary tract, kidney stones can obstruct urine from exiting your body and be quite painful. If they are quite large, they may cause damage to the kidneys or cause you to have recurrent urinary tract infections.
How it affects the body system: As they pass through your urinary tract, kidney stones can obstruct urine from exiting your body and be quite painful. If they are quite large, they may cause damage to the kidneys or cause you to have recurrent urinary tract infections.
Works Cited
Tefekli, Ahmet, and Fatin Cezayirli. "The History of Urinary Stones: In Parallel with Civilization." The Scientific World Journal. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney stones." Kidney stones - Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney stones - Treatment - NHS Choices." NHS Choices. Department of Health, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney Stones." The National Kidney Foundation. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney Stones-What Increases Your Risk." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
(STTI), Honor Society of Nursing. "How do kidney stones affect the body? - Kidney Stones." Sharecare. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
Tefekli, Ahmet, and Fatin Cezayirli. "The History of Urinary Stones: In Parallel with Civilization." The Scientific World Journal. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney stones." Kidney stones - Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney stones - Treatment - NHS Choices." NHS Choices. Department of Health, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney Stones." The National Kidney Foundation. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
"Kidney Stones-What Increases Your Risk." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
(STTI), Honor Society of Nursing. "How do kidney stones affect the body? - Kidney Stones." Sharecare. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.