What is Bladder Stone?

The bladder stone is a lump of hard mineral in your bladder. Bladder stones occur when you do not empty the bladder (urinate) completely, so that the urine clots and forms mineral crystals.

This condition can occur in people who do not routinely urinate or do not complete urination. Bladder stones are most commonly found in men over 50 years, and are less common in women.

Bladder stones signs and symptoms?

Bladder stones may not cause symptoms if the size is small enough to be removed when urinating. Common signs and symptoms of bladder stones are:

• Pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes the pain is very intense. Men can also feel pain in the penis.
• Difficulty or feeling sick when urinating.
• More frequent urination, especially at night.
• Dark urine.
• There is blood in the urine.

There may be signs and symptoms not mentioned above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

You should contact your doctor if you experience the symptoms mentioned above, especially if you suffer from prolonged abdominal pain, often feeling the need to urinate, or the presence of blood in the urine. Contact your doctor if you are unsure about your condition.

Causes of bladder stones?

Bladder stones usually occur when your bladder is not emptied completely. Minerals in the urine will form crystals and become stones. Some common causes of bladder stones:

• Enlargement of prostate groin: in men, an enlarged prostate can block the flow of urine and make urine trapped in the bladder.
• Neurogenic bladder: nerves and signals from the brain to the bladder muscle, if an injury is caused by a particular disease, it might work ineffectively.
• Inflammation: if your bladder is inflamed, bladder stones can form.
• Medical devices: objects in the bladder such as the bladder catheter and contraceptive devices can form bladder stones on these devices.
• Kidney stones: Small kidney stones can go down to the bladder through the ureter and become bladder stones if not removed.
• Cystosel: In women, the bladder wall can become weak and go down to the vagina; this can inhibit blood flow and form bladder stones. 

There are many risk factors for bladder stones, namely:

• Age and sex: Bladder stones are formed more frequently in men than women. Numbers also increase with age.
• Paralysis: people who have had a severe spinal cord injury and lost control of the pelvic muscles cannot completely empty the bladder.
• Bladder outlet obstruction: There are various factors that can inhibit urine flow, one of the most common being prostate enlargement.
• Bladder expansion surgery: bladder stones can form after surgery that handles incontinence in women.