What kind of kidney stones can develop in my body?

Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)

There are four primary types of kidney stones that may require different kinds of treatments. Uric acid stones can form if you eat a high-protein diet. Struvite stones can form if you have an infection. Cystine stones, the most rare kind of kidney stone, occur most often within families. Calcium stones are the most common kind of kidney stone and are caused by an excess of calcium in the kidneys.

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Kidney Stones

Referred to as "silent stones," kidney stones often do not cause any symptoms. The first indication of a kidney stone is often a sudden feeling of extreme pain as the stone blocks the flow of urine. Kidney stones are one of the most painful urologic disorders and one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. Most kidney stones - which are hardened masses that develop from crystals that separate from the urine in the urinary tract - are passed out of the body without surgical intervention by a doctor. A less common type of kidney stone, called a struvite or infection stone, is caused by infection in the urinary tract. Doctors are not always able to diagnose the cause of a kidney stone, which is why it's important to learn how to prevent them in the fist place. A person who has had a kidney stone in the past may likely form another one.

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