What are kidney stones?
Kidney stones, or renal calculi, are solid masses made of crystals. Kidney stones usually originate in your kidneys. However, they can develop anywhere along your urinary tract, which consists of these parts:
- kidneys
- ureters
- bladder
- urethra
Kidney stones are one of the most painful medical conditions. The causes of kidney stones vary according to the type of stone.
The condition of having kidney stones is termed nephrolithiasis. Having stones at any location in the urinary tract is referred to as urolithiasis, and the term ureterolithiasis is used to refer to stones located in the ureters