Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Bladder stones generally begin when your bladder doesn't empty completely. The urine that's left in your bladder can form crystals that eventually become bladder stones. In most cases, an underlying condition affects your bladder's ability to empty completely.
The most common conditions that cause bladder stones include:
- Prostate gland enlargement. An enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can be a cause of bladder stones in men. As the prostate enlarges, it can compress the urethra and interrupt urine flow, causing urine to remain in your bladder.
- Damaged nerves (neurogenic bladder). Normally, nerves carry messages from your brain to your bladder muscles, directing your bladder muscles to tighten or release. If these nerves are damaged — from a stroke, spinal cord injury or other health problem — your bladder may not empty completely.
- Weakened bladder wall. Bladder diverticula are weakened areas in the bladder wall that bulge outward in pouches, and allow urine to collect.
Other conditions that can cause bladder stones include:
- Inflammation. Bladder stones can develop if your bladder becomes inflamed. Urinary tract infections and radiation therapy to your pelvic area can both cause bladder inflammation.
- Medical devices. Occasionally, catheters — slender tubes inserted through the urethra to help urine drain from your bladder — can cause bladder stones. So can objects that accidentally migrate to your bladder, such as a contraceptive device or stent. Mineral crystals, which later become stones, tend to form on the surface of these devices.
- Kidney stones. Stones that form in your kidneys are not the same as bladder stones. They develop in different ways and often for different reasons. But small kidney stones occasionally travel down the ureters into your bladder and if not expelled, can grow into bladder stones.
References
- Stoller ML. Urinary stone disease. In: Tanagho EA, et al. Smith's General Urology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3127288. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Urinary calculi. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec17/ch230/ch230a.html. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Ban KM, et al. Selected urologic problems. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Dec. 19, 2010.
- Manthey DE, et al. Urologic stone disease. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6362783. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Pearle MS, et al. Urologic diseases in America: Urolithiasis. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/uda/Urolithiasis-Chapter08.pdf. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Nicoletta JA. Medical evaluation and treatment of urolithiasis. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2006;53:479.
- Gravel root. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Stone root. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Hydrangea. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Watkins RW. Urolithiasis (kidney and bladder stones). In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50063-6&isbn=978-1-4160-2954-0&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50063-6&uniqId=230284724-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50063-6. Accessed Dec. 18, 2010.
- Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Dec. 28, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on