There are different kinds of kidney stones.  About 80% of kidney stones happen to calcium oxalate stones and are due to high blood calcium levels. 

Struvite stones are the only kidney stone that isn't a metabolic problem. Instead struvite stones are usally caused by infection.  Women are more likely to get this type of kidney stone if they have a recurring problem with urinary tract infections.

Cystine stones are caused by a rare congenital defect that can cause stones composed of cystine to form in the kidney called cystinuria.

Uric acid kidney stones on the other hand happen when the urine excreted is too low in comparison to uric acid in the bloodstream on the whole.  This type of kidney stone is closely associated with gout.  If you have had gout before or suffer from frequent gout attacks, then you are likely to experience a uric acid kidney stone.

Since Uric Acid Kidney stones are typically seen in people who have gout attacks, the first thing to understand is what causes gout. After all, if you can treat the symptoms of gout, then chances are great that you can lower your risk of getting this painful ailment.

Uric Acid is found throughout your body and it is a normal by product of a protein enzyme, an enzyme that helps to break down food in your body. While there are foods that are high in purine that can trigger gout, the reality is that a proper diet can help you eliminate the chances of getting it. So here is what happens:

You eat some food.

Your body breaks down and starts the digestive process. This includes releasing enzymes in your stomach to help break down the food so it can be processed.

It just so happens that these same enzymes release by products of this process...one being uric acid.

Typically, in a healthy body, it is processed normally and the uric acid is released in the urine.

For gout sufferers, it is different though. They have so much uric acid that it can't be processed properly and instead gets released into the blood stream.

The uric acid hangs around in the bloodstream until it finds its way into the tissues (usually in the joints of the foot) where it crystallizes causing serious pain.

A uric acid kidney stone is the same thing EXCEPT rather than it depositing into the joints, it winds up in the urinary canal where it gets lodged until it is expelled.

So, it is a double whammy.....Not only are you risking gout, but you may also wind up with painful uric acid kidney stones.

Kidney stones are very painful to pass.  The good news is that in most cases they will pass.  Here are some suggestions to make them pass more quickly....

• Water is one of the best remedies to make kidney stones pass quickly-  Drink lots of it.  It will help move the stones through.  If you have had kidney stones before, I suggest you drink at least 14 glasses a day. 
  
• Drink Lemonade, lemon juice, unsweetened cranberry juice, ect-  These types of drinks do something that water can't do.  They affect the pH balance of your urine and help acidify it to break up the stones.  Lemon juice is a wonderful preventative measure to preventing kidney stones.
• Reduce your intake of animal proteins to prevent uric acid kidney stones-  Because uric acid buildup is primarily caused by enzymes trying to break down proteins, it only makes sense that the less animal protein you eat, the less uric acid you create.