Kidney Stones: Causes and Symptoms

Kidney stones are a painful urological disorder which sends about 3 million people to the doctor each year. It is important to know the causes of kidney stones to take steps toward preventing them, and to recognize the symptoms that signal when someone should see the doctor.

The most common type of kidney stone contains calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate crystals. They form because of an imbalance in the water, salts and minerals found in urine. Most of the time the stones break apart and pass out of the body in the urine without any medical intervention.

Causes of Kidney Stones: Inherited Disorders

A rare hereditary disease called renal tubular acidosis will cause more than 70% of the people who have this disease to get kidney stones.

Cystinuria is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder which causes the amino acid cystine to build up and unable to dissolve in the urine. Another metabolic disorder, hyperoxaluria, produces an excess of oxalate which is a salt. When too much oxalate builds up it forms stones.

Other causes of kidney stones are gout, an excess of vitamin D, urinary tract infections, certain diuretics and calcium based antacids which increase the risk of developing stones due to having too much calcium in the body.

Having a family history of kidney stones makes a person more susceptible to getting stones. Certain foods may cause people susceptible to stone formation to get them more often.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones do not produce any symptoms until they have begun to move from the kidney to the bladder. The most common symptom is extreme pain which is felt in the back, side or in the lower abdomen. Sometimes kidney stones will cause nausea and vomiting as it travels through the body.

As the kidney stones are funneled into the bladder, a common symptom is seeing blood in the urine. There may also be a burning sensation and the urge to urinate more often.

Symptoms to watch for are a fever and chills, which along with pain, could signal an infection. If these symptoms are present, a person should see their doctor immediately.

Kidney stones have many causes and few symptoms. According to Emory Healthcare, about 50 percent of the men who have kidney stones once, develop a second kidney stone within five years. Preventative care can dramatically reduce the chances of a repeat episode allowing an almost pain free life from kidney stones.

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

Emory Healthcare