Warm weather brings beach days, sunscreen and…kidney stones?
Researchers say people who don’t stay properly hydrated are at higher risk of painful mineral deposits as temperatures and humidity rise in summer. On top of that, they noted that in general, people whose diets are too high in sodium, fat and sugar could find themselves among the 1 in 10 Americans who will get a kidney stone in their lifetime.
Kidney stones form when minerals in urine crystallize into a small stone or pebble-like mass. These stones can lodge in the ureter, the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder. Stones sometimes cause an obstruction that makes urinating difficult and triggers sharp pain in the side or lower back. Some stones go away on their own and cause little or no discomfort.
Summer is a key time to pay attention to these deposits, because the risk of kidney stones increases when temperatures rise and people don’t stay hydrated, said Ivan E. Porter, II, a nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. , in Florida. When it’s hot and people sweat more but don’t drink enough water or other fluids, these conditions “absolutely can be linked to an increased risk of stone events and formation,” Porter said.
A 2023 study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases reported that visits to New York state hospital emergency rooms for kidney stones, urinary tract infections and other kidney injuries increased during the months the warmest, particularly during the “transitional” months of May when the weather warms and September when summer trails.
Research suggests that people are likely unprepared when temperatures rise, said Shao Lin, a professor of environmental health at the University at Albany in New York and co-author of the study. The problem, she says: People spend too much time in the sun, don’t drink enough water or don’t turn on their air conditioners when temperatures rise.
“The human body has not yet adapted to the hot weather in May,” Lin said. “People aren’t ready for that.”
Beyond the high risk due to heat and lack of hydration, other factors have likely accelerated the increase in kidney stone cases. In the United States, kidney stone rates rose from 3.8 percent in the late 1970s to about 10 percent a decade ago, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
“Over the past two decades, while we have seen some other diseases decrease or slow down, kidney stones have not kept pace. They have continued to increase,” said Timothy Averch, a urologist in Columbia, South Carolina.
Averch said warming temperatures around the world could be contributing to rising rates of kidney stones, but, he added, diets are also likely a major explanation.
“What we eat is not very healthy when it comes to kidney stones, and even some things that we consider healthy can have a negative effect on kidney stone formation,” Averch said.
What can I do to reduce my risk of kidney stones?
The most important thing is to drink plenty of water or other citrate-containing liquids, like lemonade or lemon juice, to stay hydrated, Averch said. It is equally important to avoid or minimize the consumption of drinks that can be dehydrating, such as coffee and alcohol.
Doctors also recommend avoiding foods high in sodium. Processed foods often contain sodium and should be avoided, Porter said.
“The majority of the salt we consume in a normal American diet does not come from the salt shaker,” Porter said. “It comes from processed foods. So it’s something out of a can or a bag.”
People should also avoid eating a diet that contains excessive amounts of animal proteins and fats. Averch cited a study by Italian researchers showing that a diet high in animal protein led to hypercalcemia, or excess calcium in the blood.
Researchers also busted diet myths. A few decades ago, people were told that they could be at risk of kidney stones if they drank too much milk or consumed a lot of dairy products like cheese or yogurt. But dietary studies have shown that these calcium-rich foods have the opposite effect: They reduce the risk of a type of kidney stone called calcium oxalate stones.
“Those who increased their dairy intake with cheese, milk, yogurt, actually had lower metabolic risk factors for stones,” Porter said.
However, people who take high doses of calcium supplements might face a higher risk, he said.
“So a calcium-rich diet is a good thing. Calcium supplements are not so good,” Porter said.
What to do if you have symptoms of kidney stones
People with kidney stones may first recognize a sharp pain in the lower back or side that radiates to the groin. Others have described having more general pain or a stomach ache that doesn’t go away.
Other symptoms may include blood in the urine or a burning sensation when urinating, as well as nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.
Doctors may check if you have a stone or order imaging tests to determine the size of the stone. They may also order blood tests to check for signs of calcium, phosphorus, and uric acid. Many patients are able to pass stones on their own, but some need to have them removed. If you’ve had a stone, you have a 50 percent chance of developing another within five to seven years, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
If you think you might have one, it’s always best to get checked out, doctors say.
“If you’re not sure what it is and you’ve never had kidney stones before, you should probably see a doctor,” Averch said.
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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