Every year, about 1 out of 1,000 adults in the United States is hospitalized because of stones in the urinary tract. Stones may form because the urine becomes too saturated with salts that can form stones or because the urine lacks the normal inhibitors of stone formation. About 80 percent of the stones are composed of calcium; the remainder, of various substances, including uric acid, cystine, and struvite. Struvite stones--a mixture of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate--are also called infection stones, because they form only in infected urine. Stones vary in size from too small to be seen with the eye alone to 1 inch or more in diameter.   

Prevention of kidney stone
Many people have recurrent kidney stones. For this reasons, prevention of stone formation is of great importance. Knowing the composition of the kidney stone is important for a more complete evaluation of the metabolic study.

Drink plenty of water every day
Measures to prevent the formation of new stones vary, depending on the composition of the existing stones. These stones are analyzed, and urine levels of substances that can form stones are measured.
Obese individuals are more likely to have more acidic urine, as measured by a lower urinary pH, along with an increased risk of uric acid kidney stones.

Diet and kidney stones
Following a diet low in animal protein (also reduce milk, yogurt, and cheese) and low salt helps reduce the recurrence of calcium oxalate stones. Most people with calcium stones have a condition called hypercalciuria, in which excess calcium is excreted in the urine. Thiazide diuretics such as trichlormethiazide reduce new stone formation in such people. Drinking large amounts of fluids--8 glasses a day--is recommended. A high level of oxalate in the urine, which contributes to calcium stone formation, may result from excess consumption of foods high in oxalate, such as rhubarb, spinach, cocoa and chocolate, walnuts, and tea, or from certain intestinal disorders.

Calcium supplement
By binding dietary oxalate, calcium supplements or calcium-containing foods may be useful in the management of hyperoxaluria. This condition  is present in roughly 20 percent of patients with calcium oxalate kidney stones. Dr. Kristina L. Penniston and Dr. Stephen Y. Nakada from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison evaluated urinary oxalate excretion and related outcomes in 22 patients with hyperoxaluric stone formation. Ten patients were instructed to increase intake of calcium-containing foods. The others were given the same advice and told to take calcium citrate with meals. Both groups experienced significant reductions relative to baseline values. In each group, oxalate excretion fell by roughly 13 mg/day from about 58 mg/day. "The number of subjects in each group whose urinary oxalate excretion declined to less than the risk cutoff of 45 mg/day was 7 in the diet group and 6 in the supplement group," the investigators report. Likewise, calcium oxalate supersaturation fell significantly in both groups. Neither group showed increases in urinary calcium excretion, the researchers report.  Dr. Kristina L. Penniston and Dr. Stephen Y. Nakada say, "Our results have shown that medical nutrition therapy that includes ample calcium, distributed with meals, is effective in managing hyperoxaluria. Although this is a broadly accepted principle, our data are the first to validate this clinical concept and to provide a framework of expectations for both urologists and patients with stone formation. Urology 2009;73:484-489.

Herb for kidney stone treatment
Compounds from Vitex polygama active against kidney diseases.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 September. Gallo MB, Vieira PC, Fernandes JB, da Silva MF, Salimena-Pires FR. Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CP 676, 13565-905 São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Vitex polygama Cham. (Lamiaceae, formerly Verbenaceae) is a familiar Brazilian species popularly known as Tarumã whose leaf tea has been used by population to treat kidney diseases. The aim of this research was to investigate the hydroalcoholic extract of Vitex polygama leaves in order to isolate the active compounds which were O-glycosidicflavones orientin and isoorientin as well as C-glycosylflavones schaftoside and carlinoside along with their isomers. These are known as potent anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antioxidant agents. The folk use of Taruma plant has been used to prevent kidney stone and inflammation.

Fructose as cause of kidney stone
Fructose consumption and the risk of kidney stones.
Kidney Int. 2007 October. Taylor EN, Curhan GC. Renal Division and Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Fructose consumption has markedly increased over the past decades. This intake may increase the urinary excretion of calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and other factors associated with kidney stone risk. We prospectively examined the relationship between fructose intake and incident kidney stones in the Nurses' Health Study I (NHS I) (93 730 older women), the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) (101 824 younger women), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (45 984 men). Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess free fructose and sucrose intake every 4 years. Total-fructose intake was calculated as free fructose plus half the intake of sucrose, and expressed as percentage of total energy. The multivariate relative risks of kidney stones significantly increased for participants in the highest compared to the lowest quintile of total-fructose intake for all three study groups. Free-fructose intake was also associated with increased risk. Our study suggests that fructose intake is independently associated with an increased risk of incident kidney stones.

Treatment of kidney stones
Small stones that aren't causing symptoms, obstruction, or an infection usually don't need to be treated. Drinking plenty of fluids increases urine production and helps wash out some stones; once a stone is passed, no other immediate treatment is needed. The pain of renal colic may be relieved with narcotic analgesics.

Often, a kidney stone in the renal pelvis or uppermost part of the ureter that's ½ inch or less in diameter can be broken up by ultrasound waves (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy). The pieces of stone are then passed in the urine. Sometimes, a stone is removed through a small incision in the skin (percutaneous nephrolithotomy), followed by ultrasound treatment. Small stones in the lower part of the ureter may be removed by an endoscope (a small, flexible tube) inserted into the urethra and through the bladder.

Cause of calcium kidney stones
Rarely, calcium stones result from another disorder, such as hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, vitamin D toxicity, renal tubular acidosis, or cancer. In such cases, the underlying disorder is treated.

For stones that contain uric acid, a diet low in meat, fish, and poultry is recommended, because these foods increase the level of uric acid in the urine. Allopurinol may be given to reduce the production of uric acid. Potassium citrate may be given to make the urine alkaline, because uric acid stones form when urine acidity increases. Drinking large amounts of fluids also helps.

Types of kidney stones
Every year, about 1 out of 1,000 adults in the United States is hospitalized because of stones in the urinary tract. Stones may form because the urine becomes too saturated with salts that can form stones or because the urine lacks the normal inhibitors of stone formation. About 80 percent of the stones are composed of calcium; the remainder, of various substances, including uric acid, cystine, and struvite. Struvite stones. a mixture of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, are also called infection stones, because they form only in infected urine. Stones vary in size from too small to be seen with the eye alone to 1 inch or more in diameter.

Cause of calcium oxalate kidney stone
Calcium is the most common component of renal stones in individuals in industrialized nations. Calcium stones are caused by a variety of environmental and metabolic abnormalities that change the urinary environment and increase supersaturation of stone-forming salts. Following a diet low in animal protein (also reduce milk, yogurt, and cheese) and low salt helps reduce the recurrence of calcium oxalate stones. Most people with calcium stones have a condition called hypercalciuria, in which excess calcium is excreted in the urine. Thiazide diuretics such as trichlormethiazide reduce new stone formation in such people. Drinking large amounts of fluids is recommended. A high level of oxalate in the urine, which contributes to calcium stone formation, may result from excess consumption of foods high in oxalate, such as rhubarb, spinach, cocoa and chocolate, walnuts, and tea, or from certain intestinal disorders. Rarely, calcium stones result from another disorder, such as hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, vitamin D toxicity, renal tubular acidosis, or cancer. In such cases, the underlying disorder is treated.

Struvite kidney stones
For struvite stones -- which indicate a urinary tract infection -- antibiotics are given.

Uric acid kidney stone diet
For kidney stones that contain uric acid, a diet low in meat, fish, and poultry is recommended, because these foods increase the level of uric acid in the urine. Allopurinol may be given to reduce the production of uric acid. Potassium citrate may be given to make the urine alkaline, because uric acid stones form when urine acidity increases. Drinking large amounts of fluids also helps.

Symptoms and signs of kidney stones
Stones in the urinary tract may cause pain, bleeding, obstruction of urine flow, or an infection. Depending on where a stone forms, it may be called a kidney stone or bladder stone. The process of stone formation is called urolithiasis.
   Common signs and symptoms of kidney stone formation include: Persistent pain on one side of the back, around the waist area or slightly above that may travel to the groin. The pain may subside temporarily but return in full force. Discomfort that is not alleviated by any change in position. Nausea and vomiting. Bloody urine. Frequent sensation of needing to urinate, or pain or burning while urinating. Fever and chills, which could signal an infection that needs a doctor's treatment.