Why do Kidney Stones Increase During the Summers? Doctor Responds

Individuals must replenish common fluid loss during summers through proper hydration to minimize the risk of kidney stones.

Edited By: Anjali Thakur

Updated: May 14, 2022, 4:08 PM IST

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Why do Kidney Stones Increase During the Summers? Doctor Responds (Picture credit: Freepik)

Kidney stones occur when solid salt and mineral deposits develop inside the kidneys. Typically, kidney stones develop as the urine becomes concentrated, causing crystal-forming minerals like calcium, uric acid and oxalate to gel and stick together. Accordingly, kidney stones can impact several urinary tract areas, including the kidneys to the bladder. Major causes of kidney stones include age, lifestyle, pre-existing medical conditions or external seasonal factors. Particularly, one must exercise greater caution during summer, as severe heat may increase the risk of kidney stones due to rapid fluid loss through sweat and uric acid build-up in the urine. Accordingly, kidneys retain the body’s water levels through concentrated urine, leading to kidney stone formation. Therefore, individuals must replenish common fluid loss during summers through proper hydration to minimize risks.

Causes

• Heat-related dehydration: Inadequate daily water intake and extreme sweat can cause dehydration and associated kidney stone risks. Specifically, individuals residing in hot regions or dry climatic conditions are higher risk groups.
• Age: Commonly, kidney stones impact older mid-age groups due to calcium accumulation. However, recent lifestyle causes, including obesity amongst the younger population, have widened risks across age groups.
• Diet: High protein, salt, and sugar intake can increase kidney stone risk. Particularly, excess salt raises calcium levels for the kidneys to filter, which increases the risk of forming stones.
• Excess weight: Excess body weight/mass and obesity can cause kidney stones.
• Pre-existing medical conditions: Certain medical conditions and surgeries raise risks. Namely, digestive disorders like chronic diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease or gastric bypass surgery. These conditions alter the digestive process, impacting calcium and water absorption, which increases stone-forming substances in the urine. Similarly, patients with regular urinary tract infections, hyperparathyroidism, cystinuria or renal tubular acidosis are at risk. Certain dietary supplements, including vitamin C, calcium-based antacids, laxatives, or depression and migraine medications, raise certain risks.

Symptoms

Typically, kidney stones show no visible symptoms. However, stone movement within the kidneys or stones in the ureters or tubes linking the kidney and bladder can interrupt urine flow and cause kidney swelling. Therefore, common early symptoms to look out for include stabbing pain below the ribs, the side and the back. Also, burning sensations and pain during urination can occur. Other symptoms include urine abnormalities like excessive urination, red, brown or pink, cloudy and smelly urine. However, severe pain, urine blood or urination troubles, pain alongside fever, chills, and nausea symptoms require timely medical attention.

Treatment

Doctors may conduct relevant diagnostic tests like blood, urine and image tests such as ultrasounds or CT scans, alongside lab analysis of passed stones for the required treatment. Treatment options depend on kidney stone size and the cause. Largely, small stones and minimal symptoms do not require invasive treatments. Instead, the doctor may advise drinking up to 1.8-3.6 litres of water to dilute urine and prevent stone formation and taking pain relievers to relieve discomfort symptoms when passing small stones. Lastly, prescribed alpha-blocker medications that relax ureter muscles and help pass kidney stones are another non-invasive treatment option.

Alternatively, extensive treatment options are necessary with large and difficult to pass stones, due to severe visible bleeding, kidney impairment or regular urinary tract infection symptoms. Primarily, sound wave procedures, ESWL (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy) & laser lithotripsy procedures can help break stones. RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery) is the most advanced treatment modality where no incision(cut) is involved, a flexible ureteroscope is used to locate the stone and a laser is used to break it within the body. Post the procedure with laser, it is key to remove the larger stone fragments with stone retrieval devices and the smaller ones come out on their own with urine. Dilation devices and access sheaths might be used during ureteroscopy procedures.

(Inputs by Dr T. Manohar, Chairman, SCUG: Silicon City Urology Group, Urologist – Endourologist, Laser & laparoscopic surgeon, Robotic surgeon and Renal Transplant Surgeon)