Why Do Kidney Stones Form?

Kidney stones have many causes. They can be roughly categorized into three groups: metabolic, anatomical, and infectious. In fact, almost all kidney stone formations share a common mechanism. This is the sedimentation of various substances found in our urine due to reasons such as excessive amounts (e.g., hypercalciuria), inability to excrete urine (e.g., urinary tract stricture), or insufficient water consumption. This sediment, rich in various minerals (e.g., calcium), crystallizes, known as sand casting. If a suitable environment is created, these crystals coalesce to form kidney stones. This is one of the important reasons why it is recommended that every adult consume an average of 2 liters of water per day. Calcium stones are the most common stones. Excessive vitamin D intake is also a common cause of calcium stones today. In addition, there are uric acid, cystine, struvite (infection stones), and other rarer types of stones.