There are 4 kinds of kidney stones and these are formed by different salts found in your urine. What makes each one different is what caused it.
One of the most common is the calcium stone.
These stones can easily be identified because it looks spiky or at times large and smooth. The reason why these are called calcium stones is because these are made from calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.
You may have calcium stones if you have excess levels of Vitamin D or an overactive parathyroid gland. This occurs frequently to people suffering from cancer or kidney disease.
The second type of kidney stone is the uric acid stones. These are smooth, soft and color brown and you get it from eating too much meat products. People who are at risk of this are patients who have just undergone chemotherapy.
The third type is the struvite or infection stones. These are big and appear like a horn like shape that often develops when you have excess amounts of ammonia in your body.
You are at risk of this if you already have UTI or urinary tract infection because the bacteria that causes this infection generates ammonia. Unlike the first two types of kidney stones, this one is generally found in women.
The fourth and last is the cystine stones. This is easy to tell because it is color yellow and crystalline. You can also have cystine stones if you have high levels of cystine in your urine. But this is very rare because it can only happen if you have a genetic order known as cystinuria. This occurs when kidney tubules are not reabsorbing the amino acids adequately.
The good news is that kidney stones can be treated and prevented. Sometimes drinking lots of water and taking some medication will help flush it out of the body. If the stones are too big, then surgery will be needed.
If you have had kidney stones in the past, remember that they can be happen again so you should take preventive measures. You should drink lots of water daily and make changes in your diet.
For instance, if you want to reduce the risk of developing calcium stones, you have to reduce your intake of certain vegetables such as asparagus and cooked spinach. You should also drink less tea and limit the chocolate you eat.
Since uric acid stones come from eating too much meat products, cut down your fish, meat and poultry intake. Should you be at risk for cystine or struvite stones, ask your doctor for preventive medication.
You will never know what kind of kidney stones are in your body unless you go visit a doctor. From there, he or she can tell you what it is and then recommend the proper treatment. Most of the time, you can flush it out yourself but if there is no other choice, you may have to undergo surgery.
Believe it or not, in most cases doctors do not know what causes kidney stones to appear. They may have an idea what caused it after identifying what kind of stone it is and only recommend what preventive measures you can take so it does not happen again. If you don't take this seriously, remember they do come back.
