Kidney stones are one of the common urinary problems, especially tending to increase in the summer. The main cause is dehydration when the body sweats a lot but is not adequately replenished with fluids.
According to Dr. Aditya Nayak - nephrology specialist at Zen Hospital, Mumbai (India), hot weather increases the risk of kidney stones because the body loses water, causing urine to decrease and mineral concentrations to increase.
When the body is dehydrated, minerals such as calcium, oxalate or uric acid easily crystallize and stick together, thereby forming stones in the kidneys," he said.
In terms of mechanism, when the temperature rises, the body will secrete more sweat to cool down. This causes the amount of water in the body to decrease, leading to the kidneys producing less urine. Less and more concentrated urine creates a favorable environment for crystals to form, gradually developing into stones.
Not only losing water, sweating too much also causes important electrolytes to be lost. If not fully replenished, the risk of stone formation increases. Even people who drink water but it is not enough compared to the amount of sweat lost can still fall into a state of dehydration.
Some groups at higher risk in the summer include people working outdoors, people who exercise a lot, people with kidney stones in the history, and people on a high-salt diet. Men and middle-aged people are also often recorded to have higher rates in hot weather.
Kidney stones may not be obvious in the early stages, but when they appear, they are often quite characteristic. Patients may experience pain in the lower back, painful urination, bloody urination, nausea or a feeling of continuous urination. These signs need to be noted, especially in hot weather.
Experts emphasize that drinking enough water is the simplest but most effective measure to prevent kidney stones. According to Dr. Nayak, each person should drink about 2-3 liters of water per day, and more if they exercise a lot or have a history of kidney stones. Maintaining sufficient urine helps dilute minerals and reduce the risk of crystallization.
In addition, diet also plays an important role. You should limit salty foods because they can increase calcium excretion through urine. Citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges contain citrate, which helps prevent crystal formation. Coconut water is also a good choice because it contains a lot of electrolytes.
In addition, it is necessary to maintain reasonable exercise, get enough sleep and avoid allowing the body to fall into prolonged dehydration. When suspected symptoms appear, patients should go to the doctor early for diagnosis and timely treatment.
Kidney stones can cause pain and complications if not controlled. However, prevention is not too complicated. Just maintaining a habit of drinking enough water and a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of the disease in the summer.
