Kidney stones are masses of minerals, ordinarily calcium and oxalate, that get lodged in your urinary tract. More often than not, mixes in your pee hinder these stones from forming.
Some people form stones when their urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as calcium and uric acid, than the available fluid can dilute. If the stone is large enough to cause irritation or blockage, severe pain will typically result. The pain may shift to different locations and change in intensity as the stones move about.
Generally, a person will not experience symptoms till the kidney stone travels outside the body through the tubes of urinary tract. The movement of the kidney stone will cause the following symptoms:
Severe pain in the back and side
Intense pain in lower abdomen
Pain in the groin
Pain that comes in waves
Painful urination
Urine in pink, red or brown colour
Foul-smelling urine
Cloudy urine
Nausea and vomiting
Blood in the urine
Frequent urination
Passing small amounts of urine
Below are some surprising risk factors to be aware of.
Too Much Iced Tea: Black tea is a rich source of oxalate, so overconsumption may increase your risk of stone formation.
Drinking Soda: Drinking soda is associated with kidney stones, possibly because the phosphorus acid it contains acidifies your urine, which promotes stone formation. The sugar, including fructose (and high fructose corn syrup in soda), is also problematic. A diet high in sugar can set you up for kidney stones, since sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body by interfering with calcium and magnesium absorption. The consumption of unhealthy sugars and soda by children is a large factor in why children as young as age 5 are now developing kidney stones. Sugar can also increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in your kidney, such as the formation of kidney stones.
Dehydration: People who don’t drink enough water are at an increased risk of developing kidney stones. Also people who live in warm climates and those who sweat a lot are more likely to get kidney stones.
Diet rich in sodium: When a person takes a diet rich in sodium, the calcium content in the kidneys increase. This can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
Obesity: The more the BMI and waist size, the more is the chance of developing kidney stones.
