The kidneys are your body's main filtration organs. They filter out waste products from the blood and make urine to excrete these waste products. Kidney stones are hard masses that develop from a separation of crystals from the urine. Many kidney stones are microscopic and pass through without you even knowing that they were there. Some kidney stones can get so large, however, that they can cause a great deal of distress.
Physiology
Urine holds various waste products and substances that the body needs to eliminate. Normally, your urine contains chemical substances that keep urine liquid and prevent crystals from forming. In some people, these chemicals do not work properly and crystals form in the urine. If your urine contains a lot of the substances calcium and oxalate, these substances can come together and form a calcium oxalate kidney stone.
Types of Kidney Stones
Calcium oxalate kidney stones are the most common type of kidney stone. Oxalate can enter your body through the foods you eat and is also produced by the liver. If you eat too many foods that are high in oxalates or you have a medical condition that increases the concentration of oxalate in your urine, you can develop calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Other types of kidney stones include struvite stones, uric acid stones and cystine stones, which only occur in a small percentage of people, according to MayoClinic.com.
Symptoms
Kidney stones generally don't cause symptoms until the stone travels into your ureter, which is the narrow tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. If the kidney stone blocks the flow of urine, it can result in severe pain in the side, back, lower abdomen and pelvic area. A kidney stone can also cause urine discoloration, pain during urination, frequent urge to urinate, nausea and vomiting. If an infection develops from the kidney stone, you may develop a fever and experience the chills.
Treatment
Many calcium oxalate kidney stones do not require medical treatment. If the kidney stone is small enough to pass on its own, you may be instructed to increase your water intake and take pain relievers until the stone passes. If the stone is so big that it cannot pass on its own or it causes a significant amount of pain, it may require surgical removal.
Prevention
In order to prevent the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones, you should limit your intake of foods that are high in oxalate. Foods with the highest concentrations of oxalate include beets, spinach, sweet potatoes, tea, rhubarb, chocolate and soy products, according to MayoClinic.com. In addition to avoiding high oxalate foods, it is also important to drink sufficient amounts of water throughout the day. Increasing your water intake can aid the kidneys in flushing out waste products through the urine. You should also use caution with calcium supplements because they can increase your risk of developing kidney stones.
