Kidney Stones Leigh

If you would like to know about the symptoms and diagnosis of kidney stones, and about kidney stones treatment, the following information will interest you.

Kidney stones, known in the medical world as renal calculi, are small, hard lumps that form in the kidneys. A kidney stone can range in size from a grain of sand to as large as a grapefruit.

Normally, waste in the urine exists in very tiny amounts, completely dissolved into the liquid. But sometimes it can accumulate to form crystals on the inner surface of the kidney. Over time, these crystals form into a small ‘stone’. They can be smooth or jagged, and are yellow or brown in colour.

Once a stone has formed in the kidney it may travel down into other parts of the urinary system, causing infection, kidney damage, or even kidney failure. It can also cause intense pain as the stone moves from the kidneys to the bladder.

Causes of kidney stones

The most common kind of kidney stone arises spontaneously and is made of calcium oxalate crystals. Conventional wisdom suggests that consuming too much calcium can promote the development of kidney stones. But in fact, evidence suggests that a low-calcium diet may increase the overall risk of kidney stones forming...

Profile of the Author: This kidney stone article is written by Jackie Griffiths, a freelance journalist who writes health, medical, biological, and pharmaceutical articles for national and international journals, newsletters and web sites.

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