Triggers and Risk Factors for Kidney Stones

Anybody may build up a kidney stone and lifetime prevalence for this approaches 8-10% but it can vary that show value of predominance across the globe. It can form because of imbalanced urine production and straightforwardly related to the amount you drink fluid and whether there are chemicals in the urine which results in stone development. Fundamental risk factors including age, sex, race, ethnicity, climate, family history and Body Mass Index that thought to influence the risk of kidney stones.

Apart from these, Stones can have other notable causes as well. Some different causes and risk factors are the following -

·         Some medical ailments

Certain urological disorders like Hypercalciuria, Nephrocalcinosis, Cystinuria caused by a genetic disorder, Hypernaturesis, Hyperoxaluria, Hyperuricosuria, Hypocitraturia, a low level of citrate may increase the risk of renal calculus.

Some medical diseases are also risk factors for kidney stone like joint pain/arthritis, cystic fibrosis, Colitis/inflamed colon, Crohn's disease, gout due to excess uric acid in the blood, high blood pressure, Hyperparathyroidism that causes calcium loss from bone,  Renal tubular acidosis, Urinary tract infections, calyceal diverticulitis due to cyst,  ureterocele, reflux, intestinal resection, jejunoileal bypass surgery, urinary obstruction etc.

·         Genetic Predisposition

Genealogy attribution or family history of the stone disease or hereditary condition like Horseshoe kidney, Medullary sponge kidney, which makes you inclined to forming stones. Narrow ureter and an obstruction at the junction of ureter and kidney.

·         Dehydration and Low urine volume

Chronic dehydration is a well known and proved risk factor for kidney stones. The following are the reasons behind chronic dehydration - inadequate intaking of fluids, an excessive exposure to heat due to climate or occupation.

Relating to some clinical evaluations that chronic dehydration is the key reason behind 10-15% of most kidney stones incidents. Other than this, dehydration or low water admission can prompt low urine volume, that brings about higher urine concentration or supersaturation and various medical researches have turned out this fact completely.

Low urine volume is mostly scheduled to dehydration that will originate from hard exercise, living in the hot place, working close of a fireplace, playing games in the hot sun, and insufficient fluid intaking.

Concentrated urine is just because of intaking less water or other fluids and this is the reason why the urine color winds up dark yellowish. Due to low fluid consumption, salts and minerals are not properly dissolve in the concentrated urine and increase the risk of stone disease. People who have a tendency of the stone formation, they need to increase the liquid intake because increasing fluid intake will dilute the salts and minerals in your urine. Here water is considered the best liquid in the case of renal calculus. No other fluid can be much better than water to protect against concentrated urine. So low urine volume is obviously an important segment in the pathogenesis of kidney stones that play a part in urine supersaturation which drives stone formation.

·         Occupational risk

Some therapeutic studies have uncovered that people who work more in hot conditions or environments, occurrence rates of kidney stone are maximum among them. The machinists, players, athletes, sprinters, and runners come under this category. This sort of experts and professionals have short-term episodes of significant dehydration.

·         Climate and temperature

A geographical condition also influences the risk of producing kidney stone because climate and temperature differ incredibly between countries.

It really is more common in summer days and can result in greater water loss through sweating, producing a lower volume, and supersaturated urine which totally

clarifies the increased threat of renal calculus. So that, it is very important to drink

sufficient water to avoid dehydration, low urine volume, crystallization, and an increased risk of kidney gravels.

·         Diet and eating pattern

Diet also offers an important role in the forming and growing kidney stones. One of the most common factors behind kidney stones is high levels of calcium in the urine. Therefore it is necessary to boycott calcium supplements like calcium-based antacids, calcium syrup and calcium-rich foodstuffs like milk or cheese.

Calcium increases in the urine due to unreasonable salt/sodium intake which again takes on a significant role in building stones. Fast foods, junk foods, canned foods,  and processed foods likewise have high sodium content. Therefore, it might be considered as an appropriate step to say no to such foods since it promotes calcium build up in the urine.

An oxalate made kidney stones originates from unnecessary intake of animal protein like fish, chicken, mutton, beef, pork, eggs, sweet potatoes, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, beets, chocolate, and tea can raise the uric acid levels in the urine which prepare a great ground to be Calcium oxalate and uric acid stones. As a matter of fact, uric acid is produced when there is a breakdown of animal protein that can raise the risk of both calcium oxalate and uric acid stones.

Excessive alcohol drinking also leads to uric acid accumulation in the form of crystals in the joints (gout) and in the kidneys. Accumulated uric acid crystals in the kidneys often take shape of the stones later.

By eating too much protein, the amount of citrate diminishes in urine and the work of the citrate is to puts a stop to building kidney stone.

·         Digestive disorders/Bowel conditions and surgery

An Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic diarrhea,  may result in loss of large amounts of fluid from the body and decreased urine volume that can raise the risk of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones. Gastric bypass surgery can raise the chance of forming calcium oxalate kidney stone too.

·         Deficient admission of water

Mineral salts are not very much diluted in the urine due to drinking less water that defines the stones. Furthermore, because of supersaturation of the urine, it takes the form of stone very soon.

·         Urinary tract infections

Repeated urinary tract infections also give rise to kidney stones. An infection stone is recognized as struvite stone occurring in collaboration with UTIs.

·         Obesity, Diabetes mellitus, and Hypertension

Patient suffering from weight problems additionally doubles the risk of kidney stones because it may change the acid levels in the urine, leading to stone formation.

Diabetes mellitus is also thought to be a critical risk factor for kidney stones. Some cross-sectional studies have already shown that diabetes possesses a great risk of stone disease. Apart from this, high blood pressure may also increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

·         Medication and supplements

Some allopathic medicines and supplements also cause stones disease or can increase the risk of forming stones into your kidneys. The medicines that promote stones disease are the following

Antibiotics - Sulfonamides (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, sulfasalazine/Azulfidi, and Truxazole), Quinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and pefloxacin).

Laxatives or purgatives.

Calcium containing antacids and supplementations.

Indinavir - A drug to treat HIV/AIDS.

Vitamin D and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Acetaminophen - NSAIDs/analgesics.  

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WRITTEN  BY  RAJESH  KUMAR