Who Gets Kidney Stones?

If you are in severe pain, have blood in your urine, have fever or chills, or experience any other symptoms that warrant medical attention, get to your doctor or an urgent care clinic. If you find out you have a kidney stone, you’ll likely have a story to go with it.

Kidney stones are solid masses made up of substances from your urine that have crystallized over time. They can be as small as a grain of sand but can grow to be quite large. Most kidney stones are approximately the size of a chickpea.

Anyone can get kidney stones, but they tend to occur more often in men than in women. Kidney stones are common among non-Hispanic white people as compared to people of other ethnicities.

What habits increase my risk of getting kidney stones?

Your risk of getting a kidney stone increases if you:

• Do not stay well-hydrated throughout the day.
• Your diet includes excess animal protein, sugar and or salt.
• You’re overweight.

How can I prevent kidney stones?

You can lessen your chances of getting a kidney stone by staying hydrated, making healthy food choices, and exercising regularly to maintain a healthy weight. You can also talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking a medication that can decrease your chances of getting kidney stones, especially if kidney stones run in your family and you find that kidney stones are a recurring problem.

How will my doctor treat my kidney stones?

Pain medication tends to work well for individuals with small kidney stones. Your doctor will also advise you to drink as much water as possible; extra fluid intake can help the stone make its way through your urinary tract. If your kidney stone is rather large or obstructs the urinary tract, your doctor may break up the stone with a laser or insert a tool into your urethra to help break the stone into pieces, which can ease the stone’s passage. In rare cases, your doctor will need to perform surgery to remove the stone.