Kidney stones have been found throughout history. Scientists found evidence of kidney stones in a 7,000-year-old Egyptian mummy. Kidney stones can also be called renal stones, renal calculi, or by the medical names nephrolithiasis and urolithiasis. Kidney stones (calculi) are solid or semi-solid mineral-like substances occurring in the urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Kidney stones can form anywhere within the urinary tract, within the kidney, within the ureter (the tube draining urine from the kidney), or in the bladder. Kidney stones are crystalline masses that form from minerals and proteins in the urine. Kidney stones form when a change occurs in the normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other things found in urine. These stones may contain various combination of chemicals. The most common type of stone contains calcium in combination with either oxalate or phosphate.Depending on their composition, they may be smooth, round, jagged, spiky …show more content…
They are already more common in the warmer Southern states than in the North. Be informed that kidney stones are more common in men, up to three or four times more common than women. When people become dehydrated, the minerals in their urine become more concentrated . Therefore, the most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Besides, kidney stones can also result from infection in the urinary tract ; these are known as struvite or infection stones. It has been diagnosed that kidney stones are very common in individuals that have a diet that is high in oxalates . Another known cause for formation of kidney stones is high alkalinity or high acidity of urine. However, genetics also can play a role in kidney stones. A person who has had kidney stones often gets them again in the future. Actually, you have a 50% chance of recurrence within 8 years of the first