Have you had kidney stones before?

If you did, you know it! Or at least I have been told, and I was part of the experience when my husband was dealing with kidney stones. He is a tough cookie and it brought him to his knees. A few weeks ago, my daughter’s partner had a kidney stone and ended up at the ER due to the severe pain, and yes, he had a kidney stone.

So what are kidney stones? Kidney stones are hard accumulations made of minerals and salt that form inside your kidneys. One of the big reasons can be dehydration. Unfortunately many of us, myself included, do not hydrate enough. When you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. An unhealthy diet, excess bodyweight, certain medical reasons, medications and certain supplements can increase the risk for kidney stones. Unfortunately you might be doing everything right and you still end up with a kidney stone. Genetics have a lot to do with it too. We in North Carolina have a higher risk due to living in a warmer climate. And the warmer climate increases dehydration. So what are symptoms? You can ask people who have had a kidney stone and all the symptoms are painful! Symptoms can be, but are not limited to, the following:

• Severe sharp pain in your lower back and/or side
• Pain that radiates to the front towards your lower abs and/or groin
• Pain that comes in waves and differs in levels
• Pain or burning while urinating
• Nausea even vomiting
• Fever (if infection is present)

So what can you do trying to prevent kidney stones? Eat a healthy diet, exercise and drink lots of water. From Wikipedia: Between 1% and 15% of globally are affected by kidney stones at some point in their lives. Generally more men are affected than women. Kidney stones have affected humans throughout history with descriptions of surgery to remove them dating as early as 600BC.

Of course, if you think you have a kidney stone, go to your doctor. They can properly diagnose you and help you through the process. They might take a urine sample; do blood tests; use ultrasound or CT scan. Your chance of getting another one after your first kidney stone is greater, so it is even more important to stay hydrated, eat healthy and exercise!

Ester H. Marsh is director of healthy living at the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.