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The kidneys are one of the most important organs of the human body. They filter out toxins and other harmful elements from the blood and remove those from the body as urine. Without the kidneys or if the kidneys malfunction, these harmful elements can build up and destroy the rest of the body’s organs, such as the heart, liver, and even the brain. Majority of the waste products the kidneys filter from the blood are made of minerals and salt. Unfortunately, these waste products can sometimes build up in the kidneys as well. When they do, they form kidney stones. These stones are crystal formations that usually start off small, but in time they can get larger. The different types of kidney stones Most kidney stones are made of calcium and are referred to as calcium stones. Around 80% of people with kidney stones have calcium stones. Kidney stones can also be made up of uric acid. People who have high levels of uric acid in the blood are at risk of developing these types stones. However, only about 10% of kidney stone cases are caused by uric acid. Other rare cases of kidney stones are struvite stones caused by a urinary tract infection and cystine stones that are amino acids. Cystine stones are caused by a rare metabolic disorder. Amino acids are supposed to be reabsorbed by the body as these are important elements. When the body fails to reabsorb it and cystine continues to build up in the …

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They say that if you’ve never experienced kidney stones before, you’ve never known the true meaning of pain. The pain brought about by kidney stones is so excruciating that some would even swear it was worse than childbirth. Why Do Kidney Stones Hurt So Bad? Kidney stones are crystal formations usually made up of minerals, the most common of which is calcium. The stones begin as sand like particles that can grow to over an inch. Stones that are about a quarter of an inch small will be able to pass through the urinary system without causing much problems. However, as the stones grow bigger, they can get stuck in the ureter or may not be able to leave the kidney without medical intervention. To understand why kidney stones hurt so badly, you’ll first need to understand the urinary system. The urinary system begins with the kidneys. The kidney removes waste products from the fluids in the body and processes them into urine to be removed from the body. Urine will flow down small tubes called the ureters. The ureters are about 25-30cm long and 3-4mm in diameter. The ureters are not flexible but they do have muscles that can produce spasms. After passing the ureters, urine will be accumulated in the bladder until such time it is removed from the body. There are three reasons why kidney stones hurt so badly. The first is because the stones may try to travel through the ureters causing blockages along the way. …

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