What do your Kidneys do? Well they actually do a lot. The kidneys are the master chemists of the body. Normally, there are two of them, one on either side of the spine under the lower ribs. They are reddish brown in color and shaped like kidney beans. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. The kidneys are located in the Urinary System along with the Bladder, the Ureters, and the Urethra. The main job of the kidneys is to remove wastes from the blood and return the cleaned blood back to the body.
What is a kidney stone? Kidney stone can develop when certain chemicals in your urine form crystals that sticks together. The crystals may grow into a stone ranging in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Small stones can pass through the urinary system without causing problems. However, larger stones might block the flow of urine or irritate the lining of the urinary tract. Most stones form in the kidney. Some travel to the ureter or bladder. Most stones contain mainly calcium oxalate crystals. A smaller number are uric acid stones or cystine stones.
Whom do they affect? Kidney stones are one of the most painful disorders to afflict humans, and one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. It is estimated that 10 percent of all people in the United States will have a kidney stone at some point in time. Caucasians are more prone to kidney stones than are African-Americans. Although stones occur more frequently in men, the number of women who get kidney stones has been increasing. Kidney stones strike most people between the ages of 20 and 40. Once a person gets more than one stone, he or she is more likely to develop others. .
What are the Symptoms?.
© Unable to find a comfortable position. People with kidney stones often pace the floor.
© Waves of sharp pain that start in the back and side, and move toward the groin or testicle.
© Nausea and vomiting. .
© Profuse sweating. .
© Blood in urine.
