Kidney stones are becoming more common, with over 5% of Americans developing them in their lifetime. Risk factors include being male, Caucasian, over 40, and having certain diseases or a family history. Avoiding certain foods and treating urinary tract infections can help reduce the risk.
Medical researchers can’t always point to a definitive cause for kidney stones. A puzzling factor in the current data suggests that the number of people developing these pain stones is growing. Data from the 1970s showed that fewer than 4% of Americans developed stones, and current medical research now shows that over 5% of Americans will develop a kidney stone in their lifetime.
There are certain risk factors that can put people at greater risk. If you are male, Caucasian and over the age of 40, you are in the highest risk group. African Americans and women of any race tend to develop these stones less, and women over 50 also tend to have a lower incidence of kidney stones. There are certain diseases that can increase the risk of developing kidney stones in any race, population or age group.
Family history definitely plays a role, and a rare inherited disorder called renal tubular acidosis will cause about 70 percent of people with it to develop kidney stones. Several other conditions can cause stones. These include:
Cystinuria: High amounts of cystine are present in the urine and may not dissolve so they can be excreted. This residual cystine can form stones.
Hyperoxaluria: Urine contains large amounts of oxalate, which may not completely dissolve in the urine.
Hypercalciuria: The body absorbs too much calcium, which therefore cannot be dissolved in the urine and can create bladder and kidney stones. This condition is hereditary and can account for 50% of all people who eventually develop stones.
Gotta
Urinary tract infections
Misuse of diuretics or excessive use of calcium antacids
Gastric bypass surgery
Taking some protease inhibitors used to treat HIV
Essentially, kidney stones can be caused by a variety of factors, at least half of which are caused by absorbing too much calcium. If other people in your family have developed this problem, urinalysis can help determine if you are also at risk. Especially with hypercalciuria, there are foods to avoid that can help you avoid kidney stones from forming. These include spinach, Swiss chard, black tea, chocolate, sweet potatoes, wheat germ, grits, peanuts, raspberries, strawberries and liver. All of these foods can create additional calcium oxalate and increase your risk of kidney stones.
If you’re prone to urinary tract infections, you need to make sure you see a doctor regularly to treat them before they form struvite kidney stones. Ignoring infections, especially for an extended period of time, can build up these stones and make them difficult to pass or require surgical removal. With any of these other risk factors, or when your family history might suggest you’re more at risk, it’s important to see a doctor and discuss ways you may be able to reduce the risk factor.
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