A kidney stone (renal calculus) is a solid piece of material formed in the kidneys from the minerals in urine
- If a kidney stone grows to sufficient size it may block the ureter, decreasing kidney function and causing painful urination
In most cases, there is no known reason why a kidney stone forms, however dehydration is a common contributing factor
- Kidney stones may be prevented by limiting the dietary intake of minerals which form the stones (e.g. calcium)
One current treatment for kidney stones involves the use of ultrasounds (shock wave lithotripsy)
- Sound waves from outside the body are used to shatter the kidney stones into smaller fragments
- Once disintegrated, the fragments of the kidney stone can be passed normally in the urine
Kidney Stones
