Summer can be a dangerous time for sunburns and heatstroke. It can also take a toll on your kidneys. We spoke back in May about the importance of hydration to avoid kidney damage. But did you know that summer is considered the kidney stone season?
One in 10 Americans will get a kidney stone at some point. Summer is the most common time of year for them. Kidney stones form from mineral and salt deposits. You can avoid them with proper hydration. But, in summer, we sweat. If the humidity is high, you may not feel as thirsty and may not replace the fluid as quickly as you should.
Summer’s weather “absolutely can relate to an increased risk of both stone events and stone formation,” said Mayo Clinic nephrologist Ivan Porter II.
Kidney stone season starts in early June. Our bodies haven’t adapted to the warmer weather yet. It’s important to drink, even when you don’t feel thirsty. Adding citrus to your water can help you. Meanwhile, drinking too much coffee and alcohol can increase your risk as they dehydrate you.
In addition to drinking more water and drinks like lemonade, steer away from foods with high sodium levels. Processed foods contain tons of salt that can cause kidney stones. Most of the salt Americans eat doesn’t come from a saltshaker; it comes from pre-made foods. Eating a high amount of fatty meat can lead to hypercalcemia or excess calcium in the blood. That can also be a risk factor for kidney stones. So, reach for more veggies in the summer. Milk and dairy products, on the other hand, lower the risk of kidney stones.
If you are someone who has to reach a threshold of being incredibly hot before turning on the air conditioner, stop! Air conditioning not only helps you feel better; it aids your health. Even inside you can suffer from heat-related health problems and be at risk for developing kidney stones. A higher electric bill is cheaper than an ER visit.
Some kidney stones can pass through urine with little to no pain. Others can lodge in the ureter and make urinating painful or difficult.
If you have sharp pain in the lower back or side that radiates toward the groin or stomach pain that doesn’t subside, you may want to talk to your doctor about kidney stones. That’s often the first symptom. Other symptoms are blood in the urine, nausea or vomiting, chills, fever or pain while urinating. Many stones pass on their own, but some need to be removed. If you have had a stone in the past, you have a 50 percent chance of developing another within five to seven years.
“If you’re not sure what that is, and never had a kidney stone before, you should probably seek medical care,” said urologist Timothy Averch.
