A Spike In Kidney Stone Cases During Summer
Mumbai: Kidney stones are solid, formations made of mineral and acid salt that may travel into the ureter (a tube connecting the kidney and bladder), causing loin pain and groin discomfort. There is a rise in kidney stone cases when the weather warms up. Take timely treatment before the pain worsens, or kidney damage occurs.
Summer can not only lead to skin or tummy troubles but even kidney stones. Summer heat creates havoc on the kidneys. During the warm weather, people lose a lot of fluid via sweat and get dehydrated. If this fluid loss is not tackled by adequate hydration, the kidneys tend to make concentrated urine to conserve body water. Moreover, this concentrated urine can lead to the formation of kidney stones. “Rising temperature also raises the risk of kidney stones. Buildup of calcium and uric acid in the urine can also lead to the formation of kidney stones which are small or big in size.
Dr Nasreen gite,urologist at Apollo spectra Mumbai said, “One with kidney stones will exhibit symptoms such as pain and burning sensation while urinating, blood in urine, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and back pain, frequent urination, and fever. Some stones tend to pass on their own without any treatment while others need to be addressed promptly. Shock wave lithotripsy can be done wherein shock waves break up the kidney stones into small pieces that later pass through your urinary tract and out of the body through the urine. A ureteroscopy can be opted for as well. Here a long tube-like tool is inserted into the ureter to take out the small stone, break it into small pieces (using a laser in case the stone is bid in size) to allow it to pass via urine. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedure is needed for large and complex stones."
Exercise daily, avoid colas, salty and processed foods that can lead to stone formation, empty the bladder regularly, drink enough water, maintain optimum weight and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent kidney stones.
