Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are common – around 1 in 10 people will have one in their lifetime.
A kidney stone is a solid mass formed from chemicals in the urine.
If they’re small enough, you may pass a kidney stone and not even know it. They become painful when they’re too large to travel through the ureter (the tube connecting your kidney to your bladder) easily.
If left untreated, they can cause infection, or inhibit the function of your kidneys.
Kidney stones can be incredibly painful. The pain will usually occur at the side of your tummy. It can cause you to feel nauseous, or actually vomit.
Kidney stones occur when there are too many crystal forming chemicals in your urine.
Calcium stones (the most common kind) can be caused by diets high in oxalate – this includes foods like leafy greens, almonds and beets.
A key risk factor is a high salt diet as this correlates with a higher level of calcium in your urine. High sugar diets can also increase risk.
Kidney stones are more likely to occur if you don’t drink enough water, or if you live in a warmer, drier climate.
Causes for other types of stone include UTIs, chronic diarrhoea and high protein diets.
Obesity, family history, medical conditions and medication can also increase your risk.
Excess levels of vitamin C have also been linked to kidney stones, which is why it’s best to test, not guess when it comes to supplementing.
We can refer you for a CT or ultrasound to confirm whether you have kidney stones.
Further urine analysis can reveal whether you have a UTI; find pieces of crystal; or blood in your urine to diagnose, or reveal the cause of kidney stones.
What’s next?
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