Cause of Kidney Stones

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The main cause of kidney stones (metabolically-related) is the imbalance of salts and minerals in urine.  This imbalance can occur because of several different factors including your diet, overactive parathyroid glands, cancer, kidney disease, gout, chemotherapy, urinary tract infections, some diuretics, calcium-containing antacids, certain drugs used to treat HIV infections and cystinuria.  Also, people with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and Crohn's disease are more prone to developing kidney stones.  Depending upon what caused the imbalance, one of four different types of stones could form.  Here are the four types of kidney stones:

Calcium Stones

These are the most common type of kidney stones, they make up 80% of all cases. They are made of calcium and oxalate, which are chemicals found naturally in certain foods (see "Prevention", for examples of these foods). A diet with a high content of calcium and oxalate can increase the concentration of these chemicals in the urine and make it more likely for stones to form. Other factors include:

• excess vitamin D,
• overactive parathyroid glands,
• medical conditions such as cancer, some kidney diseases, or a disease called sarcoidosis.

Uric Acid Stones

Excess amounts of uric acid can be caused by eating a lot of meat. Conditions such as gout and treatments such as chemotherapy can also increase the risk of getting uric acid stones.  These type of kidney stones account for nearly 10% of all cases.

Struvite Stones (Infection Stones)

These are caused by too much ammonia in the urine. Ammonia is a chemical produced by the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. This kind of stone is most often found in women (due to the fact that the female urinary tract is more susceptible to infections.)  These stones can grow large enough to fill the kidney completely.  This type of kidney stone only occurs 8% of all cases.

Cystine Stones

These are caused by a rare, congenital, hereditary disorder called cystinuria, which affects about 1 to 2 % of men and women, that produces unusually high levels of cystine. Kidney stones caused due to cystinuria occur throughout life and are somewhat difficult to treat.

Now that you know the cause of kidney stones, is there a particular diet to follow that can help prevent stones from occurring or reoccuring in the future?  And if you find that you have kidney stones, then what types of treatments are available to you? 

 Recommended Reading:

Common Myths and Misconceptions about Kidney Stones
Keep Your Kidney Clean - Simple kidney cleansing process you can do at home.
Red Meat and Kidney Stones - How does Red meat affect your kidneys?