Am I At Risk Of Getting Kidney Stones?

Do you have a family history of kidney stones (someone in your family has had kidney stones)?

Do you drink less than 2 to 3 liters of water a day?

Do you live in a warm, dry climate?

Do you sweat a lot?

Do you have a diet high in protein, sodium or sugar?

Are you overweight or obese (your BMI (body mass index) is 25 or higher)?

Do you have any disease of the digestive tract like inflammatory bowel disease or chronic diarrhea?

Have you had gastric bypass surgery or another intestinal surgery?

Do you have any of the fallowing conditions: polycystic kidney disease, renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism and repeated urinary tract infections?

Do you use often vitamin C, dietary supplements, or calcium-based antacids?

Do you overuse laxatives?

Are you taking diuretics (water pills) or medication to treat migraines or depression?

Based on your answers you have a low risk of getting a kidney stone. Kidney stones are solid deposits composed of minerals and salt that form in the kidneys. The kidneys remove waste products and excess fluid from the body through urine. However, when urine consists of little fluid and a lot of waste products, certain chemicals can stick together to form a kidney stone. Kidney stones can occur in one or both of your kidneys. Anyone can get a kidney stone, but it most often occurs in people between the ages of 30 and 60. It is also more common in men than in women.

Based on your answers you have a moderate risk of getting a kidney stone. Kidney stones are hard deposits of crystals that form in your kidneys. There are several types of kidney stones depending on the substances from which they are formed. Diet and excess weight can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Food rich in sodium (salt) increases the amount of calcium that your kidneys need to filter and thus increases the risk of stone formation. Inflammatory processes in your intestines, and chronic diarrhea, can lead to malabsorption of calcium and water, resulting in an increased amount of substances that form stones in the urine.

Based on your answers you have a high risk of getting a kidney stone. Kidney stones are a fairly common condition. It is estimated that every tenth person will get a kidney stone at some point in their life. This condition is more common in Caucasian non-Hispanic people than in people of other ethnic groups. Also, taking certain medications such as diuretics or excessive use of laxatives can contribute to the development of kidney stones. They can be extremely painful. If you have one kidney stone, the probability that you will get another one in the next 10 years is more than 50 percent.