Common Kidney Problems

Kidney Stones
A kidney stone is a hard mass that accumulates in the urinary tract when crystals separate from the urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney. In most people, urine contains chemicals that prevent these crystals from forming kidney stones. People who suffer from kidney stones do not have inhibitors that prevent crystal formation. Anyone who has ever had kidney stones will tell you that the pain can be so severe that it reduces them to tears. Kidney stones are not a product of modern diets or lifestyle. Evidence of kidney stones has been found in 7000 year old human remains in Egypt. Men tend to get kidney stones more often than women.

Kidney Infection
If a person has low resistance, germs from the bladder can travel up the ureters to the kidneys and begin to multiply. An acute kidney infection starts suddenly with severe symptoms, then quickly comes to an end. A chronic kidney infection develops slowly and grows worse with time. A chronic kidney infection can lead to kidney failure.

Kidney Cyst
A kidney cyst is an abnormal pouch that contains fluid. The simple kidney cyst is the most common form. There is no evidence that kidney cysts are an inherited condition. One or more kidney cysts may develop at a time on the small tubes in the kidneys. Kidney cysts do not generally present symptoms and usually kidney cysts cause no harm. Very often people do not even know they have a kidney cyst. However, a kidney cyst can cause pain if it grows large enough to press on other organs. Sometimes a kidney cyst can become infected and start to bleed. If that happens, a kidney cyst can increase blood pressure, but it usually does not impair kidney function. A kidney cyst will not require treatment if no complications are present. But if symptoms occur, a kidney cyst may require surgery.

Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer accounts for approximately three percent of all adult cancers in the United States. Kidney cancer tends to appear in adults in middle age, usually after age 50. Kidney cancer strikes men twice as often as women. The most common type of kidney cancer occurs in the part of the kidney that filters blood and produces the urine. This type of kidney cancer is called renal cell cancer, or renal cell carcinoma. Another type of adult kidney cancer is a tumor which arises in the part of the kidney where the urine collects. This type of kidney cancer is called transitional cell carcinoma. The most frequent sign of kidney cancer in adults is blood in the urine.