The body requires an ideal internal environment in order to function properly. The kidneys maintain an ideal internal environment by filtering the blood of excessive and toxic substances and eliminating them through urine production. Kidney stones form from an accumulation of calcium or uric acid crystals in the blood. Several diseases are associated with kidney stone formation.
Hyperparathyroidism
The parathyroid consists of four small glands that lie behind the thyroid gland, two on each side of the throat at the level of the adam's apple. The parathyroid glands secrete parathyroid hormone which regulates the exchange of calcium between the bones and blood. Hyperparathyroidism occurs when too much parathyroid hormone is secreted, resulting in an increase in calcium release from the bones into the blood. Calcium is an important element in the body, used for bone building, muscle contraction and neurological function. Too much calcium in the blood causes confusion, muscle cramps, fatigue, insomnia, depression, bone pain, loss of libido, headaches, high blood pressure and irregular heart rate. A complication of prolonged high calcium concentration in the blood is kidney stones, formed from excessive calcium that accumulates in the kidneys, according to Cedars-Sinai.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease includes two major disorders: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by ulcers and inflammation of the large intestine. Often affecting the lower portion of the large intestine--the rectum--ulcerative colitis causes watery, bloody stool. Conversely, Crohn's disease causes patches of swelling and pain of the digestive tract, anywhere from the mouth to the anus, resulting in diarrhea, fever and weight loss. Inflammatory bowel disorders are associated with kidney stones since these types of disease hinder the absorption of fat from ingested food. Lack of fat absorption disrupts calcium or uric acid concentration, two elements that form kidney stones if they're present in excess, notes Penn State University and Rush University Medical Center.
Hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition whereby the blood exerts an increased amount of pressure on the walls of blood vessels. For unknown reasons, hypertensive patients are three times more likely to develop kidney stones compared to the average person. The medical community is not sure if hypertension causes kidney stones or if kidney stones cause hypertension, according to Cedars-Sinai and the University of Maryland Medical Center.
