There are some that claim that passing a kidney stone is practically the same intense, painful feeling that a woman would have with labor during pregnancy. Kidney stones are no joke to put it bluntly. But what causes kidney stones and are there ways that you could prevent it from ever happening? In this hub, I intend to show you the root causes of kidney stones as well as various remedies to help prevent you from ever having another one if you have had one before or to never have to worry about passing one.

The causes of kidney stones are numerous although in the US it appears that the southern region of the states are the hardest hit. Many researchers believe that this is because of the humid, hot climate which renders a greater possibility of dehydration which many theorize could be the primary reason why a kidney stone is created. Others suspect it has something to do with the southern diet, which is typically unhealthy and is also believed to be one of the causes of kidney stones.

Men between 30 and 50 are most likely to develop kidney stones and they are predominately white. Children and African Americans are least at risk.

The root causes of kidney stones are (in no particular order)

• Poor diet- Since this is predominately a 21st century problem many theorize that modern day diets are to blame for the rapid growth in kidney stone cases.
• Dehydration- Less fluids in the body mean that mineral concentrations can form in the kidneys and with this, a greater risk of developing a kidney stone
• Depressed Immune System- Infections that would otherwise be fought off become disruptive forces in the urinary tract.
• Obesity- People who are obese are much more likely to develop kidney stones
• Heredity- Some people are simply more likely to develop kidney stones simply because they have a family history of it. It is believed that this is because some people simply absorb too much calcium
• A deficiency in Potassium or magnesium- Magnesium actually prevents the formation of calcium oxalate crystals which will reduce the chances of developing a kidney stone.

In addition to this, certain metabolic disorders can increase the risk of having a kidney stone. If you have been diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome, sarcoidosis, cancer or hyperparathyroidism, then you are at a greater risk. In addition to this, if you have digestive disorders such as Crohn's Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrom, you are at an increased risk.

To understand what causes you to get a kidney stone, you need to understand how the body works. Urine in humans is saturated with phoshates, calcium oxalate and uric acid. This would be a bad thing but your body has ways to protect itself. Through various compounds, your body controls the pH of urine and as a result, these otherwise substances stay suspended.

However, problems arise when your immunity defenses get suppressed or the protective compounds start to break down. When either of these things happens, the calcium oxalate, phosphate or uric acid can crystallize and form what we know as kidney stones. At first, the stones are small but as time passes more substances start to clump together to it and the stones become large enough to make it hard to pass urine.

The stones themselves can be jagged much like the uric acid stones that create problems like gout or have smooth surfaces. The pain that you feel when your body is trying to pass a kidney stone is the stone trying to pass through the urinary canal and out with the urine.

Kidney stones range in size. They can be so small you have to view them using a microscope or as large as your fingertip.