Manufacturers of modern toys designed for organizing educational children's leisure time often offer ready-made kits for growing crystals at home. But it would be a mistake to think that this activity is a development of our time and an achievement of the modern chemical industry.
Why does each crystal have its own shape?
All crystals grow, but each of them grows at its own speed and in a certain direction. During the growth of any crystal, flat faces spontaneously form on its surface, and the crystal itself takes on some geometric shape. This means that the crystal faces grow in a strictly defined direction. Scientists have repeatedly verified this in the following experiments. They cut off all the corners of a standard geometric crystal, turning it into a ball, and placed it in a solution or melt of the same substance.
After some time, smooth areas of crystal faces began to form on the surface of the ball. As the edges grew, the platforms became larger and larger and gradually merged into an irregularly shaped polyhedron. Most often, crystals are forced to take this shape. And this happens because some edges grow faster than others and interfere with their free growth.
Gems
A regular polyhedron can only form if nothing interferes with its growth. And if one crystal collides with another, then it cannot grow further towards this crystal, so it changes direction. As a result of this growth, polyhedra of different shapes are formed.
Interpretation of research
Urinalysis obtained by evaporation for several hours at room temperature should be interpreted with caution. Under such conditions, pathogens multiply at high speed, which increases the amount of crystalline compounds in the urine. You can obtain a crystal from urine in the laboratory by evaporation. A method such as evaporation helps to conduct further research for a more accurate result.
If the patient is in a normal state, the following compounds are found in the patient’s urine:
- ammonium crystals;
- phosphates;
- calcium carbonate;
- calcium oxalate;
- uric acid;
- amorphous urates.
The results of a urine test can identify many deviations from the norm and diagnose the disease.
The following elements indicate the presence of diseases:
- cystine (speaks of cystinuria);
- bilirubin (indicates liver abnormalities);
- leucine (liver disease);
- tyrosine (severe liver pathologies);
- cholesterol (signal of nephrotic syndrome).
If such compounds are detected, this means that there are certain diseases in the body that require immediate diagnosis and treatment.
How are crystals formed?
In the depths of the Earth there is magma, in the process of slow cooling and solidification of which crystals of various minerals with different crystal structures are formed. Why is this happening? You already know that each substance has its own melting point, or crystallization, or solidification. Therefore, all substances found in magma solidify in turn, in accordance with the temperature at which they are able to take a crystalline form. Most of these crystals are gemstones.
Leaves covered with water crystals (frost)
Crystals can also form from steam. For example, the steam that you exhale during severe frosts turns into small white flakes. During the first autumn frosts, the grass and branches of low-growing shrubs can become covered with amazing crystals of frost, which disappears as the temperature rises.
Evaporation from solution is another way for crystals to form. For example, after water evaporates from a saturated brine solution, salt crystals will remain at the bottom of the container. Similar processes occur in nature. Under the rays of the hot summer sun, the water in the seas and salt lakes begins to evaporate. Salt crystals first float on the surface of the water and then settle to the bottom.
This is how natural salt deposits are formed.
Treatment
The salts themselves are harmless. Their presence often indicates an imbalance in food balance, nutrition, or intense physical work. Diseases in adults, children, and pregnant women are indicated by a significant increase in crystals. It is important to remember that it is not the condition itself that needs to be treated, but the pathologies that cause an increase in salts.
Treatment for diabetes mellitus is carried out after diagnosis of the disease as prescribed by an endocrinologist. Patients with diabetes are prescribed special medications containing insulin or medications that stimulate its natural production. Diet for illness is one of the important stages of therapy. Patients are advised to avoid spicy, fatty, salty, smoked foods, alcohol, strong tea, and coffee. The diet should consist of cereals, lean meat, soups, and dairy products.
The formation of stones in the kidneys and bladder requires a comprehensive approach through diet, the use of medications, physiotherapy and other methods. If many large stones are found in the kidneys, the patient is indicated for surgical treatment.
For pyelonephritis, therapy is carried out using antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and other drugs.
It is often possible to normalize the level of salts in urine through nutritional correction:
- when the amount of urates increases, you need to exclude meat products, dairy products, and drink large amounts of alkaline mineral water;
- an increase in phosphates requires a reduction in the consumption of fish, dishes rich in calcium, and vitamin D;
- elevated oxalates require avoidance of plant foods, celery, parsley, dill, and sorrel. In this case, treatment is prescribed with alkaline mineral water.
It is often possible to normalize the amount of salts in urine with the help of a healthy diet.
This method of therapy, such as a healthy diet, will help remove excess salts from the body and prevent the development of many diseases.
Human urine is a material, the study of which gives a clear picture of the state of the organs and systems of the body. With timely detection of deviations, it is possible to prevent serious illnesses and serious consequences in the future.
Many even the simplest studies can provide information about how the body works as a whole and even some of its organs and systems in particular. That is why everyone, without exception, even in full health, should from time to time (once a year in the same month if possible) visit the clinic at their place of residence and undergo a full examination. Such a preventive examination also includes general blood and urine tests, which are interpreted by a therapist. But the data from such studies can be interpreted independently. Let's clarify why salt crystals appear in the urine, what this means in a child and during pregnancy, and why they can be elevated.
Urine is essentially a solution of various salts. When urine stands, they may well precipitate - in other words, form crystals. The formation of crystals is promoted by reduced temperature. Based on the presence of certain salt crystals in the resulting urinary sediment, one can conclude that the reactions have changed in the acidic or alkaline direction. Excessive amounts of salts in urine can contribute to the development of various health problems.
If a small amount of salts in the urine was detected during a single test and the patient does not have any other health problems, this test can be considered as non-indicative. In most cases, an increased amount of salts in the urine does not indicate excessive saturation of urine with salts, since such a phenomenon can be explained by changes in the colloidal composition of urine and its reactions, in addition, it can be observed in response to the consumption of certain foods.
However, the detection of significant salt sediment in the urine or its regular fixation can be considered as a symptom of impaired kidney function or ailments of the digestive tract and other health problems.
Salt crystals in urine are normal
Salt crystals in urine can be found in patients of all ages. In absolute health, they are most often recorded in preschool children, which is explained by the peculiarities of their nutrition, the reduced ability of the kidneys to break down a significant amount of chemical elements, and also by fluctuations in the level of acidity. The amount of salts found in urine is usually indicated in the analysis decoding form by pluses - from one to four. Doctors usually consider the presence of two pluses as normal.
Why are there high levels of salt crystals in a child’s urine?
Most often, urates are found in children's urine (they usually fall out in urine that has an acidic reaction), oxalates (they fall out in an alkaline or acidic environment), and phosphates (they are most often fixed in an alkaline environment).
Urates are a precipitate of uric acid and its salts. In childhood, they may appear in the urine in response to the consumption of foods rich in purine bases. Such food is represented by meat broths, meat, sardines, sprats, herring, offal and legumes. In addition, urates can precipitate when a person constantly drinks strong black tea, cocoa, or when consuming various smoked meats, mushrooms and chocolate.
Sometimes such salts are detected after physical exertion, due to feverish conditions, dehydration, uric acid diathesis, leukemia and gout.
Oxalates in children's urine can precipitate when consuming foods that contain large amounts of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as well as oxalic acid. This phenomenon is also possible with congenital malfunctions in the metabolic processes of oxalic acid, which is manifested by urolithiasis or inflammatory kidney damage. Oxalates also increase with pyelonephritis, diabetes mellitus, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or ethyl glycol poisoning.
As for phosphates, their increase can be observed in absolute health, including due to a decrease in urine acidity due to overeating. This phenomenon is possible when consuming food enriched with phosphorus and an alkaline urine reaction. Phosphates can precipitate in the urine after gastric lavage has been carried out in case of poisoning, due to cystitis, vomiting, Fanconi syndrome, fever and hyperparatisosis.
Why are there increased salt crystals in urine during pregnancy?
Normally, expectant mothers rarely experience an increase in salt crystals in the urine. Among the relatively natural factors that can cause such a disorder are dietary features (the same as in childhood), severe toxicosis in the first trimester of pregnancy and even until the end of the first half (vomiting) and excessive sweating. In addition, many pregnant women have small amounts of phosphates in their urine; this phenomenon is explained by a shift in the acid-base balance to the alkaline side, which is often observed during pregnancy.
In other cases, an increase in salt crystals in the urine most likely indicates some kind of health problem. They can be represented by a variety of disorders: a deficiency of certain nutrients or their excess (for example, an increase in oxalates may indicate a lack of magnesium), various intestinal and inflammatory diseases (including diseases of the genitourinary system), endocrine disorders, stress, drug overdose remedies, etc. Therefore, if an increased amount of salt crystals is detected in the urine, the expectant mother needs to undergo additional examination and, if necessary, treatment, and adhere to the diet recommended by the doctor.
Folk remedies
Quite often, salt crystals in the urine are elevated due to the development of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system. A similar situation can occur with pyelonephritis. To correct this disease, you can use not only medications, but also herbs, for example, the medicinal plant thyme. Brew a tablespoon of crushed flowers of this plant with one glass of boiling water. Infuse the medicine for half an hour, then strain and take a tablespoon up to five times a day. This infusion can be used both in childhood and during pregnancy.
The advisability of using traditional medicine should be discussed with your doctor.
Kidneys are organs responsible for the excretory function of the body. Thanks to the work of these organs, all substances entering the bloodstream are filtered. They are responsible for maintaining water-salt and electrolyte metabolism. In addition, they produce the hormone “erythropoietin”, which is necessary to ensure the function of hematopoiesis. Kidney function can be assessed using a urine test. There are many different laboratory techniques for conducting this study. In addition to the fact that the state of the excreted fluid can indicate the presence of inflammatory processes and impaired filtration capacity of the kidneys, sometimes crystals are found in the urine. Normally they shouldn't be there. Therefore, the appearance of crystals indicates functional disorders. In some cases, these changes are observed in the presence of stones. Sometimes this phenomenon indicates a predisposition to certain kidney diseases. At the same time, the pathology itself may not yet develop.
What is the secret of the uniqueness of crystals?
The uniqueness of crystals lies in their special shape and the faces they form. If you look closely at the crystals of salt and sugar, you can see the difference even without a microscope.
All crystal lattices are different geometric shapes: triangles, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, etc., and the shape depends on the type of molecules and atoms of each substance.
REMEMBER! The process of crystal formation is called crystallization. In nature, crystals quite often form when a liquid cools and then solidifies: certain molecules of the liquid gather together in the form of a special lattice, which is repeated several times.
Suspicious symptoms requiring urine testing
The appearance of this substance in the urine of men and women is often caused by elevated total cholesterol levels. If the following symptoms occur, you should consult a doctor and undergo a urine test with microscopy:
- the appearance of xanthelasma on the epidermis;
- deterioration of skin condition;
- sudden hair loss;
- muscle fatigue;
- blood pressure surges (hypertension);
- severe headaches;
- apathy;
- erection problems in men;
- painful sensations when urinating.
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Snowflake
One of the most interesting and unusual crystals are snowflakes. Snowflakes are ice crystals in the form of needles, prisms, hexagons, plates, etc.
Shape of snowflakes at different temperatures
When water molecules crystallize, they can only form three or hexagonal shapes. This is the main reason for the hexagonal shape of snowflakes!
What determines the shape of snowflakes?
The shape of snowflakes depends on several factors:
- the temperature at which a snowflake is formed,
- altitude above sea level,
- the content of water vapor in the cloud in which this snowflake formed.
Snowflakes fall very slowly: their speed is approximately 1 km/h. During the fall, they have to “experience” different temperatures, so the shape of the snowflakes is constantly changing.
Geode - a miracle of nature
Nature has created many amazing creations, and one of them is geodes. Geodes are unusual, hollow rocks that are completely or partially filled with overgrown crystals. Geodes come in all shapes, but the most common are round or oval.
From the outside, geodes are nothing remarkable: they look like ordinary stones. All their beauty becomes obvious only after sawing. Sometimes geodes are called “boxes with a surprise”: after all, it is really unknown what beauty is hidden in them.
Amethyst Geodes
Geode sizes vary from 1 cm to 1 m, the smallest specimens (less than 1 cm) are called tonsils. The crystals formed in geodes depend on the mineral matter that originally entered the underground voids. The most common geodes are quartz, amethyst, rock crystal, agate, and chalcedony.
