When you think of summer, you think barbeques, cool drinks, tanning, trips to the beach, and going on vacations. But to urologists, it means dealing with more patients that are having issues with kidney stones. The extreme pain of a kidney stone (women say it's worse than childbirth) drives about 1.5 million sufferers to the ER annually, with the rate rising by 20 percent between June and August. You might be wondering what the season has to do with the stones. Here's some surprising information.
How Warm Weather Leads to Kidney Stones
The warmer weather is going to cause you to sweat a lot more than usual. As a result, you need to be drinking more water to replace all the fluids you're losing through your body. But most people aren't proactive about replacing the fluids they're losing through sweating.
As a result of this, more people tend to get dehydrated during the summer. What you may not have known is that dehydration can lead to calcium oxalate stones forming in your kidneys.
This is especially the case if you are more prone to developing stones. If you've had kidney stones in the past, then you should take more caution. You want to make sure you're rehydrating on a regular basis when you are spending time outdoors.
Other Summer Factors to Consider
When you think of summer foods, you think of hot dogs, steaks, and other barbecued meat. There is a specific type of stone called uric acid stones. These stones form when your level of uric acid in your urine is too high. It can also form when your urine pH is too acidic.
If you've dealt with stones before, then you need to be aware of your diet. It's normal for people to consume more meat during the summer as a result of backyard barbecues and other outings. You will need to practice restraint and make sure you're eating a balanced diet.
Also high consumption of summer foods like hot dogs, sausages, and beef barbecues can all lead to kidney stones forming, especially if you are dehydrated. These types of meats often contain high levels of salt which leads to higher levels of calcium in the urine to bind with oxalates.
Other things that can contribute to these kidney stones are drinks with high fructose corn syrup, foods with high sugar content, and alcohol. It's helpful to identify what type of stones you have experienced stones in the past. This will allow you to make the right choices when it comes to your diet.
So as you're heading into the summer, be aware of all the risk factors that the warmer weather poses. And be more aware of your diet so that you're not overconsuming salt, animal protein. alcohol and sugars and make sure you stay hydrated by drinking lots of water!
