What are Renal Stones?
Renal Stones are small, hard deposits that can get stuck on the way from the renal pelvis to the ureter and are often known as ‘kidney stones’. The stones can vary in size enormously. Sometimes they are no bigger than a sugar granule while others are so large that they can fill the entire renal pelvis. Contrary to popular belief, they are not always painful, sometimes remaining undetected for many years. Often patients only become aware of their stones by accident as a result of other treatment, for instance through X-ray or ultra sound examinations. Men are far more likely to suffer with renal stones, being twice as likely as women to develop them. Usually, healthy men between the ages of 30 and 50 are most susceptible to this condition. Unfortunately, scientists are, despite extensive research, unable to say definitively what causes the growth of renal stones. Some causes that have been attributed to the growth of stones include a high concentration of calcium in the urine or blood,
Renal stones, more commonly known as kidney stones, are crystallized formations of waste products in urine. Stones can go unnoticed, passing without difficulty through the bladder and urethra. Larger renal stones may cause blockage of the urine by blocking the ureter, the central tube through which urine passes from the kidneys. Such blockage causes severe pain, and while most stones pass on their own, medical treatment is frequently sought to effectively break down or eliminate renal stones. The four most common types of renal stones are cystine, struvite, uric acid, and calcium. Of these, calcium formations are the most common, accounting for about 80% of all cases of kidney stones. While the kidneys generally remove calcium from the body, calcium in excess can combine with other chemicals to form renal stones. A lack of the proper amount of citrate, sometimes caused by renal insufficiency, may further induce the creation of these stones. Cystine stones are the least common of renal
