What causes kidney stones?
Disease description:
My family member was found to have kidney stones during a medical examination. Fortunately, they are not very large. I would like to know what causes kidney stones?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Cao Zhiqiang
Stones, mainly referring to solid mass formations in certain parts of the human body, commonly occur in the urinary system, biliary system, and salivary glands. Their development involves multiple factors, with the main causes including:
1. Dietary factors: Long-term consumption of high-protein, high-sugar, high-fat, and high-purine foods, as well as diets low in fiber, can easily lead to excessive stone-forming substances in the urine, thereby promoting stone formation.
2. Lifestyle habits: Insufficient water intake is one of the important causes of stone formation. Normally, metabolic waste needs to dissolve in water to enter the bloodstream and then be excreted through the kidneys. If water intake is too low, these metabolic substances may deposit within the kidneys, leading to stone formation.
3. Body constitution factors: Some individuals naturally tend to excrete higher amounts of certain substances, such as uric acid and calcium oxalate. Once these substances precipitate, they are more likely to form stones.
4. Metabolic abnormalities: Disorders in the body's metabolism are a significant cause of stone formation. For example, conditions such as hyperuricemia, hypercalciuria, and hyperoxaluria can all promote stone formation. Metabolic abnormalities lead to excessively high concentrations of certain components in the urine, surpassing their solubility limits in urine, thus causing crystallization, which gradually enlarges and forms stones.
