Kidney and ureteral stones
Stones in the urinary tract are among the most common urological conditions. Their development can have various causes. Stones can develop unnoticed and persist over longer periods of time, even years, without causing any symptoms.
However, kidney stones can pass into the ureter towards the urinary bladder, causing sudden renal colic. The patient suffers from very intense episodes of pain in the renal area. For this reasons, kidney stones should be treated even if no pain is present.
Why do kidney stones develop and how do I know that I have a stone?
Kidney stones vary greatly in their composition and thus also in the way they develop. The most common kidney stones are calcium-oxalate stones. They consist mainly of calcium, an essential component of our food. If there is an imbalance within the body between the intake of calcium with food and its excretion via the kidneys, kidney stones may develop. A similar imbalance in uric acid also leads to the development of kidney stones. This may occur, for example, in the event of excessive meat consumption. Kidney infections or other diseases affecting the body’s metabolism may also cause kidney stones to develop.
Kidney stones do not necessarily cause symptoms or pain. They often persist unnoticed over longer periods of time and are detected by accident as part of a screening. Pain often occurs when a stone becomes detached from the kidney and passes into the ureter. This obstacle often entails urinary stasis and ultimately renal colic, because the ureter, a thin tubular muscle, contracts rhythmically, trying to transport the stone to the bladder.