What Causes and Triggers A Kidney Stone?

December 21, 2022

Due to kidney stone complications, more than 500,000 people visit emergency departments yearly. According to statistics, one in ten people will most likely have kidney stones at some point in their life.

Kidney stones develop when the calcium, oxalate, and uric acid particles combine with other components and form a high concentration in your urine. And kidney stones are formed when two or more crystals bind together. You may pass a kidney stone undetected and become as small as a grain of sand. However, a larger one might harm and obstruct your pee flow.

Removing kidney stones can be excruciatingly painful, but if caught early, they often don’t result in permanent harm. Depending on your condition, you might only need to take painkillers and drink lots of water to clear a kidney stone. But surgery might be required when stones become trapped in the urinary tract, are linked to an infection, or result in problems.

To avoid further kidney complications, the following are what causes and triggers a kidney stone.

What causes or triggers the risk of kidney stones?

There is generally no single reason for kidney stones, and several factors can make you more likely to get them. Below is a list of what triggers them. They consist of the following:

Absence of water

Make enough urine to disperse the substances that could harden into stones. Your urine may seem dark if you don’t drink enough fluids or perspire excessively. It needs to be transparent or light yellow. 

In a day, you should produce approximately 8 cups of pee if you’ve formerly had a kidney stone. Since you lose some fluids from sweating and breathing, ensure that you drink about 10 cups of water daily. Or you can also opt to have a glass of water for a citrus-flavored beverage. It is because lemonade or orange juice contains citrate, which can prevent stones from developing.

Food intake

Eating habits can have a significant impact on whether you develop kidney stones.

Calcium and oxalate clump together when your kidneys produce urine, forming the most common kidney stone. Numerous veggies and nutritious foods contain the chemical oxalate. If you’ve had this type of stone in the past, your urologist might advise you to reduce meals high in oxalate. Examples of these foods are the following:

  • – Spinach

  • – Rhubarb

  • – Grits

  • – Wheat Bran

  • – Excessive Salt

It is primarily obtained through table salt. It may increase your risk of developing severe kidney stones. So eat a balanced diet and avoid processed foods, canned goods, prepackaged meats, and unhealthy snacks.

Animal-based protein

When your urine is overly acidic, a kidney stone might develop. Uric acid levels in the body can increase by eating red meat and seafood. It can build up in the joints resulting in gout or spread to the kidneys and form kidney stones. More significantly, animal protein increases the calcium content and decreases the citrate content of your urine, prompting stone formation.

Gut issues

For individuals with gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn’s disease and peptic ulcers, stones are the most prevalent kidney issue. You may get diarrhea resulting in digestion problems, which reduces your urine production. More oxalate may be absorbed by the body from the gut, resulting in higher levels of the substance in the urine.

Overweight or obese

Obesity increases your risk of kidney stones by almost twofold. And that happens when your body weight index is 30 or more. Obesity begins at 210 pounds if you are 5 feet 10 inches tall.

You can lose weight and enhance your health by having weight loss surgery. However, research indicates that those who undergo bypass surgery, the most popular weight loss procedure, may be more susceptible to kidney stones. Only weight loss procedures that result in malabsorption have this risk.

What signs indicate kidney stones?

Small kidney stones may pass through your urine and leave your body (called passing a kidney stone). You could not even be aware that you had a kidney stone because you might not have any symptoms.

But a bigger kidney stone may become trapped in your urinary tract and prevent urine flow. And you might experience signs like:

  • – Discomfort when peeing

  • – Having blood in your urine

  • – Sudden pain in the back or lower tummy 

  • – Abdominal pain that won’t go away

  • – Feeling nauseous or you’re vomiting profusely

  • – Have high fever and chills

  • – Pee that has a foul odor or a hazy appearance

When you remove a kidney stone or if a sizable kidney stone obstructs the flow of your urine, you might experience significant pain. If you experience any of these signs, consult your urologist as soon as possible.