Calcium Oxalate Stones: The Most Common Kidney Stone

Calcium oxalate kidney stones are the most frequent kind of kidney stone. These kidney stones form when calcium combines with oxalate, a substance found in various foods, to create hard crystals that can clump together and form stones in your kidneys.

Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones

Urologists remove kidney stones from the body. Nephrologists investigate why a person forms kidney stones by performing both blood and urine tests. This is called a metabolic workup.

Causes of Calcium Oxalate Stones

• Eating too much food with oxalate: Consuming too much oxalate-rich foods can contribute to calcium oxalate kidney stone formation.
• Dehydration: Not drinking enough fluids can concentrate the urine, increasing the risk of crystal formation. Try to produce 2.5 liters of urine per day.
  • So you need to drink around 2.5 liters of water or Crystal Light per day, throughout the day. 2.5 liters of fluid is 85 ounces of liquid. This is the same thing as 10.5 cups of water.
• High calcium levels in the urine: Having too much calcium in your urine can also be a factor that contributes to kidney stone formation. Your nephrologist can help determine if the amount of calcium in the urine is excessive and the supersaturation risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.
• Underlying medical problems: Certain conditions, like inflammatory bowel disease or hyperparathyroidism, can increase the risk of stone formation.

Symptoms of Calcium Oxalate Stones

Numerous people with small stones do not experience symptoms. However, when a stone moves or grows, it can cause:

• Intense pain in your side or back
• Pain during urination
• Blood in your urine. This is also called hematuria.
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Nausea and vomiting

Prevention and Treatment: preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones is important. Best practices suggest discovering why you are forming the stones and then personalizing treatment, adjusting available options to the individual. Options include but are not limited to the following:

• Drink plenty of fluids: Staying hydrated helps dilute urine and prevent stone formation.
• Changes to your diet: Reducing oxalate intake by limiting foods like spinach, rhubarb, and chocolate can be helpful.
• Medicine: Certain medications can help prevent stone formation in some situations.
• Kidney Stone removal: If the stone causes significant symptoms or is obstructing the flow of urine, medical procedures like shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, or surgery may be necessary. This is when the urologist comes in to help.