The Different Types of Kidney Stones

Causes of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are formed when there is an imbalance of fluids, salts and minerals in the kidneys. If the urine in the kidneys is too concentrated, then these salts and mineral can crystallize together into small rocks. There are four different kinds of kidney stones, and each has a different cause.

Calcium Kidney Stones

The vast majority of kidney stones are calcium based and come in the form of calcium oxalate stones. Often the cause is dietary, some fruits and vegetables, nuts and chocolate are high in oxalate. Intestinal bypass surgery and excessive vitamin D intake can also cause an over concentration of oxalate in the urine. Calcium stones can also come in the form of calcium phosphate stones.

Struvite Kidney Stones

Struvite stones are caused by infections, especially an infection of the urinary tract. As urinary tract infections are most common in women, they are also a lot more likely to develop struvite stones than men.

Uric Acid Kidney Stones

Uric acid kidney stones are formed when there is too much uric acid in the body. The arthritic condition of gout is also caused by too much uric acid in the body. The chances are, if you have gout you will also have uric acid kidney stones or vise versa . So natural gout remedies may also be beneficial for those with uric acid kidney stones.

A high protein diet can increase uric acid levels in the body and even dehydration can lead to high urine concentration that can form uric acid stones. Some people also have a genetic condition that makes it difficult for their bodies to break uric acid down.

Cystine Kidney Stones

This is the least common type of kidney stone. It only forms in people with a rare hereditary disorder that influences the kidney to over excrete an amino acid called cystinuria.