As the weather changes, spring comes to an end, summer makes its special appearance, ranging from high temperatures to hotter climates, and you find yourself with many health disorders. Rising temperatures raise the demand for hydration, which we sometimes forget, causing body fluid imbalance and affecting kidney health.  Dehydration is not all about thirst or extreme urges for enough hydration; it turns to other water deficiency effects like kidney damage, kidney stone formation and other urinary health disorders.  Dehydration kidney stones happen when your body runs low on fluids, making urine concentrated and crystal formation easier.

Dehydration affects the kidneys, as they are the vital organs that help in metabolic waste removal from the blood and ensure your body’s fluid balance.  This blog explores how dehydration leads to kidney stones, the dehydration and kidney stones connection, and the kidney stone prevention tips.

What are the kidney stones?

Kidney stones are like a hard substance that forms in your kidneys when your urine output is reduced, and your urine becomes concentrated with minerals like oxalate, uric acid, and calcium. Without any metabolic waste removal, these minerals stay together and turn into mineral crystallisation or stone formation. By the time these crystals develop, they become larger and cause stones in the kidneys. When these stones move through the urinary tract, you feel excessive kidney pain, along with severe abdominal pain.

Dehydration leads to kidney stones:

Dehydration leads to kidney stones, especially in summer. If you are dehydrated, do not drink enough water, your urine becomes more concentrated, with certain minerals and other waste substances. Concentrated urine makes it easier for the formation of kidney stones. As we lose more fluids in summer, sweating and fluid loss, along with low water intake risks, dehydration starts quickly, especially in people who stay outdoors during temperature rises or simply do not drink enough water throughout the day. Kidneys are unable to properly filter, which is why dehydration increases the risk of kidney stones.

In urine concentration, calcium, uric acid, and oxalate levels are increased, which leads to higher chances of crystal formation in the kidneys. These crystals can then develop to form kidney stones. If you stay well hydrated, that helps in diluting these substances in the urine and decreases the risk of kidney stone formation.

Symptoms of dehydration lead to kidney stones:

Basically, a kidney stone grows silently and has no prior symptoms until they move. The symptoms of dehydration leading to kidney stones are,

• Feeling sharp pain in your backside
• Unbearable abdominal pain
• Blood in the urine
• Urine colour change or Dark yellow, concentrated urine
• Reduced urine output
• Frequent urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Burning sensation while urinating
• Persistent thirst and dry mouth, eyes, and nose

Types of kidney stones:

You can identify different types of kidney stones, such as 

• Calcium oxalate stones: Calcium-based stones are the most common in the kidneys, which may be generated due to high oxalate or low calcium foods, and fluid or electrolyte imbalance in the body.
• Uric acid stones: When you eat more animal protein foods like eggs, chicken, mutton, or any foods related to animal protein, it causes uric acid stones.
• Struvite stones: This type of kidney stone originates due to urinary tract infections – they grow rapidly and become large in size within a few days.
• Cystine stones: It’s related to your family history or genetic disorders, and also when the amino acid cystine concentrates in the urine.

Do kidney stones actually develop all of a sudden?

Generally, a kidney stone is a silent health condition, and when you know that you have been diagnosed with kidney stone issues, that is already generated, because a kidney stone does not have prior symptoms, until it grows and moves, you feel intense back abdominal pain and urination difficulties. But kidney stones generate slowly and silently; it’s not a sudden disease.

Importance of hydration:

Hydration importance is the key to reducing toxin buildup, supporting kidney function, and preventing complications like kidney stones and dehydration-related fatigue. Enough water intake or sufficient hydration helps to regulate your body’s nutrition and manage proper metabolic waste removal by urine, which helps maintain healthy kidneys and prevents kidney stone formation.

During summer, heatwave dehydration occurs when extreme temperatures drain your body’s fluids faster than you can replace them, leading to fatigue, dizziness, and increased risk of the causes of kidney stones. So, drink at least 2 to 3 litres of water daily to keep your body sufficiently hydrated, maintain proper kidney function, and avoid mineral crystallisation.

How to maintain proper hydration to avoid kidney stones:

Kidney stones develop when you are extremely dehydrated, and your body fluids are reduced excessively, so that the kidneys are not able to work properly. Follow such hydration tips to avoid these complications. 

• Drink plenty of water (2 to 4 litres of water per day) to maintain the proper kidney filtration process
• Eat water-rich fruits to intake enough fluids along with vitamins & minerals
• Rehydrate yourself with electrolyte drinks to replace the lost minerals
• Follow your urine colour, as light yellow or no colour urine is recognised as proper hydration
• Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, which contribute to dehydration
• Drink enough water before and after physical exercises

How much water need to drink to prevent kidney stones?

To maintain good kidney health and prevent kidney stones, proper hydration is essential, especially during summer dehydration. When your water intake is low, urine concentration increases, allowing minerals to stick together and lead to stone formation, often causing severe pr intense kidney pain. Drinking enough fluids helps dilute urine, supports urinary health, and flushes out waste effectively. Maintain consistent hydration throughout the day to reduce the risk of dehydration and protect your kidneys.

What are the kidney stone prevention tips?

Prevention is always essential for your healthy kidneys, as the kidneys are a vital organ for your body’s waste mineral removal, and maintaining whole body functions properly.

Dietary modifications:

• Avoid excess salt in foods, as sodium can cause calcium buildup in the kidneys that later may turn to kidney stone.
• Ensure sufficient calcium intake through foods for smooth filtration and better kidney health
• Check your diet with animal proteins that increase the uric acid level and cause stone formation
• Limit your sugar intake and alcohol consumption to reduce the risks of kidney stone development
• Go with regular physical activities like regular exercises, yoga, walking, and jogging to keep you active and maintain your body fluid balance.
• Drink enough fluid-based food items, coconut water, and fruit juices to keep you hydrated and maintain kidney health.

Treatment options for kidney stones:

You feel intense pain in your lower back if you diagnose a kidney stone, which requires immediate treatment, based on your medical consultant. Your doctor may ask you to do a lower abdominal ultrasonography to check the current condition of your kidney stone and also measure its size and type.

In minor cases, the doctor suggests you drink water to flush out the kidney stone with urine

Shock wave lithotripsy: The doctor may use shock wave lithotripsy for blasting stones into multiple small pieces.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: Doctors use a thin instrument called a nephroscope, inserted through a small incision in the back, to locate and remove a kidney stone. For larger stones, a laser is used to break them into smaller pieces for easier removal.

Cystoscopy:  Doctors use a cystoscope, a thin viewing instrument, to examine the urethra and bladder and locate any stones present.

Ureteroscopy: During ureteroscopy, a thin ureteroscope is passed through the urethra to view the ureters and kidneys, helping locate stones.

The stones are then removed or broken into smaller pieces, and the procedure is done under anaesthesia with same-day discharge in most cases.

You can easily book your blood tests to check your kidney health through renal panel blood tests at Nirnayan Healthcare in Kolkata.

A note from Nirnayan Healthcare:

Dehydration and kidney diseases are directly linked with each other; when your body is lacking enough fluids, urine becomes concentrated, which can lead to kidney stone formation. Understanding kidney stone causes, particularly the effects of dehydration on the kidneys, signifies how continuous hydration is crucial for maintaining proper hydration and kidney health, especially during summer.  Staying well-hydrated is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to protect your kidneys and prevent painful complications.