Warm Weather Is Common Factor in Kidney Stones
This article originally appeared in Health Matters, a health
information newsletter published by Clinton Hospital for members of the Greater
Clinton community.
Kidney stones - chances are you have either had one yourself or you know
someone who has gone through the ordeal of having one. Either way, you have
surely asked the question, "How can something so small and simple cause so much
pain?"
The truth is that while many kidney stones are relatively small, some can be
quite large and can fill the entire kidney collecting system. Plus, kidney
stones are anything but simple. Kidney stones are a complex combination of
minerals, salts and proteins that, when combined with other factors, such as
dehydration and poor diet, create the perfect storm in the kidney, resulting in
a stone. As described by WebMD, stones are formed when the minerals and salts in
the urine stick together and crystallize.
Generally, stones go undetected while in the kidney because they are
painless. However, when the stone begins to migrate from the kidney toward the
bladder through the ureter (a thin tube connecting the two), it can block the
ureter causing swelling and an acute onset of pain that cannot be helped by
changing positions.
There are multiple treatments for kidney stones ranging from allowing the
body to pass the stone spontaneously with the help of medication to different
forms of noninvasive and invasive lithotripsy treatments, as well as
surgery.
Kidney stones affect all ages, genders and races. People with a family
history of kidney stones or preexisting medical conditions such as gout;
inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis;
and those living in warmer, southern climates, who are more likely to suffer
from dehydration, are at a higher risk of forming kidney stones.
People who are predisposed to kidney stones can help lower their risk by 75
percent through proper diet and adequate hydration, commonly coupled with
preventative medication. Doctors recommend drinking two quarts of water per day,
supplemented with 1/2 cup of lemon juice, which contains citrate, a
stone-inhibiting substance. Other recommendations include:
· Minimizing
dietary sodium and fat
· Reducing calcium intake to less than 1,200 mg per
day
· Limiting protein in proportion to ideal body weight
· Reducing foods
such as tea, chocolate, nuts and some dark, green vegetables
Kidney stones are one of the most common urological problems seen by doctors,
alongside prostate diseases; complicated urinary tract infections; bladder,
prostate, testicular and kidney cancer; as well as erectile dysfunction.