I understand the month of January is dedicated to the prevention of urological conditions, and my resolution this year is to stop the agony that is kidney stones.
Generally, a small stone that measures less than 5mm would pass with minimal symptoms, however concretions larger than 5mm result in typical renal colic. This in turn causes a blockage in the ureter as it has a diameter of 5mm. Kidney stones are believed to be more common in the western world since the 1970’s. This is believed to be associated with dietary habits and lifestyle choices and tend to affect men more than women. Data has revealed that kidney stones can affect up to 19% of men and 9% of women in developed countries such as the United States.
Having said that, a calcium oxalate stone is the most prevalent as they are 85% of all kidney stones found, while uric acid and cystine stones are only responsible for 14% and 1% of all urolithiasis respectively. When it comes to oxalates, foods that are high in it include nuts, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb and tea; all of these are well-recognised causes of kidney stones.