Warm weather brings beach days, sunscreen and kidney stones?
The researchers say that as summer temperatures and humidity rise, people who aren’t properly hydrated are at increased risk of painful mineral deposits. What’s more, people who typically have too much sodium, fat and sugar in their diet are at increased risk. 1 in 10 of Americans will suffer from kidney stones in their lifetime.
Kidney stones form when minerals in urine crystallize into small stones or pebble-like clumps. These stones can get stuck in the ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. Stones can cause blockages that make it difficult to urinate and can cause sharp pains in the sides or lower back. Some stones pass naturally with little or no discomfort.
Summer is an important time to keep an eye on these deposits because as temperatures rise and people fail to stay hydrated, the risk of kidney stones increases, says Dr. Ivan E. Porter, a nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. If you’re hot and sweaty but don’t drink enough water or other fluids, the situation is “definitely associated with an increased risk of both stone development and stone formation,” Dr. Porter says.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Nephrology in 2023, Emergency room visits During the warmer months, especially in May when temperatures rise and during the “transition” period in September as summer draws to a close, New York state hospitals saw an increase in patients visiting the hospital with kidney stones, urinary tract infections and other kidney damage.
Dr. Xiao Lin, a professor of environmental health at the University at Albany, SUNY and co-author of the study, said the research suggests people may be ill-prepared for rising temperatures. The problem, he said, is that people spend too much time in the sun, don’t drink enough water and don’t turn on their air conditioners when temperatures rise.
“The human body hasn’t yet adapted to the hot weather in May,” Lin said. “People aren’t prepared for it.”
Besides the increased risk from heat and dehydration, other factors likely fuel the rise in kidney stone cases: According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney stone incidence in the United States has increased from 3.8% in the late 1970s to about 10% a decade ago.
“While other diseases have declined or slowed in progression over the past few decades, kidney stones have not and continue to increase,” said Dr. Timothy Aburch, a urologist in Columbia, South Carolina.
Aburch said rising global temperatures could be contributing to the rise in kidney stones, but diet was also likely a major factor.
“When it comes to kidney stones, what we eat isn’t all that healthy, and some of the things we think are healthy can actually have a negative impact on kidney stone formation,” Aburch said.
How can you lower your risk of kidney stones?
The most important thing to do is drink plenty of water and drinks that contain citric acid, like lemonade and lemon juice, to stay hydrated, Aburch says, and it’s equally important to avoid or minimize your intake of dehydrating drinks, like coffee and alcohol.
Doctors also recommend avoiding foods that are high in sodium, including processed foods, which often contain large amounts of sodium, Porter said.
“The majority of the salt we get in the typical American diet doesn’t come from the salt shaker,” Porter says, “it comes from processed foods — things in cans or bags.”
People should also avoid diets that are too rich in animal protein and fat, Abarchi said, citing a study by Italian researchers that found that a diet high in animal protein can lead to hypercalcemia, or too much calcium in the blood.
Researchers have also busted dietary myths. Decades ago, people were warned that drinking too much milk or consuming a lot of dairy products like cheese and yogurt could put people at risk of developing kidney stones. But dietary studies have found that foods rich in calcium have the opposite effect, reducing the risk of a type of kidney stone called calcium oxalate stones.
“Patients who increased their intake of dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurt actually had lower metabolic risk factors for stones,” Porter said.
But people who take large amounts of calcium supplements may be at higher risk, he said.
“So a calcium-rich diet is good; calcium supplements are not so good,” Porter says.
What to do if you have kidney stone symptoms
People with kidney stones may first notice a sharp pain in the lower back or side that radiates down to the groin area, while others may experience general body aches or stomach pains that don’t go away.
Other symptoms may include blood in the urine, a burning sensation when urinating, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.
Your doctor may order imaging tests to determine if you have stones and how large they are. They may also order blood tests to check your calcium, phosphorus, and uric acid results. Many people are able to pass their stones naturally, but some may need to have them removed. According to the National Kidney Foundation, if you have stones, you have a 50% risk of them recurring within the next 5 to 7 years.
Doctors say if you suspect you may have the disease, it’s best to get tested.
“If you’re not sure what it is and you’ve never had kidney stones before, you should probably see a doctor,” Aburch says.