What are urinary tract stones and how are they formed?

Urinary tract stones are a general term for stone diseases in various parts of the urinary system and are a common disease of the urinary system. All stones that appear in the human renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, and urethra are collectively called urinary stones, also known as urolithiasis. So what are the factors that cause urinary stones?

1. Urinary tract stones

1. Urinary tract stones are a general term for stone diseases in various parts of the urinary system and are a common disease of the urinary system. All stones that appear in the human renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, and urethra are collectively called urinary stones, also known as urolithiasis. Urolithiasis is a common disease worldwide. Its incidence rate is also high in my country, and it often occurs in young and middle-aged people, so the rate of visits to the hospital is relatively high.

2. Classification: According to the location of the stones, they are divided into kidney stones, ureteral stones, bladder stones, and urethral stones. The formation of this disease is closely related to environmental factors, systemic diseases and urinary system diseases.

3. Clinical manifestations: lumbar and abdominal colic, hematuria, or accompanied by symptoms of urinary system obstruction and infection such as frequent urination, urgency, and pain during urination.

4. Urinary stones form in the kidneys and bladder. There are significant differences in the formation mechanism, etiology, stone composition and epidemiology between upper urinary tract stones and lower urinary tract stones.

Upper urinary tract stones: Most are calcium oxalate stones. Among bladder stones, magnesium ammonium phosphate stones are more common than those in the upper urinary tract. The nucleation theory, stone matrix theory and crystal inhibitory substance theory are the three most basic theories of stone formation.

5. Size: The size of urinary stones varies greatly. The largest ones can be as big as egg yolks, with a diameter of 5 to 6 cm, while the smallest ones can be as small as fine sand.

6. Attack: When the stones move or move downward, they can cause severe and unbearable cramps in the patient's waist and abdomen, and often require injections of strong painkillers such as pethidine to be effective. It is often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and red urine. During the active stage of stones, B-ultrasound often shows unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis, which is caused by the stones moving downward and getting stuck somewhere in the ureter. At this time, we should seize the favorable opportunity of the stone moving downward and adopt acupuncture or Chinese medicine differentiation and treatment to promote the excretion of stones as soon as possible and completely eliminate hydronephrosis. Otherwise, the stones will be stuck for a long time and urine excretion will not be smooth, which may cause irreversible renal damage over time with serious consequences.

2. Formation Factors

Many factors influence the formation of urinary stones. The salts in the urine that form stone crystals are in a supersaturated state. The lack of substances that inhibit crystal formation in the urine and the presence of nuclear matrix are the main factors in the formation of stones.

1. Epidemiological factors

These include factors such as age, gender, occupation, socioeconomic status, dietary composition and structure, water intake, climate, metabolism and genetics. An increase in animal protein and refined sugar and a decrease in fiber in the diet promote the formation of upper urinary tract stones. Drinking plenty of water to dilute the urine can reduce the formation of crystals in the urine.

(II) Urine factors

1. Excessive excretion of stone-forming substances: increased excretion of calcium, oxalic acid, and uric acid in urine.

2. Uric acid decreases and pH increases.

3. Decreased urine volume increases the concentration of salts and organic substances.

4. The content of substances that inhibit crystal formation in urine decreases, such as citric acid, pyrophosphate, magnesium, acidic mucopolysaccharides, and certain trace elements.

(iii) Anatomical abnormalities such as urinary tract obstruction lead to the deposition of crystals or matrix in areas with poor drainage, urine retention and secondary urinary tract infection, which is conducive to stone formation.

(IV) Urinary tract infection