Kidney stones

Kidney stones are formed from crystallized salts and minerals in the urine. They can vary in size – from a grain of sand to a tennis ball. Stones can stay in the kidneys, but they can also move into the ureter, bladder, urethra, and eventually be expelled. The passage of a stone through the urinary tract suddenly causes severe pain. The most common cause of kidney stone disease is insufficient fluid intake, but sometimes stones form due to a condition such as gout. Kidney stone disease can be hereditary. If there are relatives in your family who have kidney stones, there is a high chance that you may have them too. While the stones are in the kidneys, a person does not feel any pain.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology