When you hear about kidney stones, you probably don't think of kids. However, new data says maybe we should.
Over the last couple of decades, more and more children are being diagnosed with kidney stones. So much so that Children's Hospital of Michigan has a pediatric kidney stone clinic.
Dr. Yegappan Lakshmanan, the chief of pediatric urology at Children's Hospital, said drinking enough water is key to combating the heat and kidney stones in children.
"About 20 years ago was when we first noticed that the more children showing up with stones," Lakshmanan said.
Kidney stones develop when minerals normally found in urine join together to form hard stones in the urinary tract. Studies show a dramatic rise in kids.
A report in the journal Healthcare shows ER visits more than doubling. Before the trend was identified, the intense pain was often investigated as appendicitis or some other cause.
"One time we thought it was a hip pain, got some x-rays and we found this huge stone," he said.
In adults, stones are more common in men. But the opposite is true in children. They're more common in teenage girls and may be linked to hormonal changes. Overall, experts say the rise is linked to two factors.
"One is dehydration, not drinking enough, and two, the increased salt in the diet," Lakshmanan said.
According to the CDC, about 90% of US children ages 6-18 consume too much daily sodium. Most come from packaged food and restaurants. Another factor is heat. Increases in kidney stones are well-documented across the deep south.
"It's been called the stone belt. You see a lot more stones go to the hotter climates, and we've seen this all the way up in Michigan now," he said.
Oral antibiotics are also associated with increased risk of kidney stones with early and more recent pediatric exposure giving the greatest odds.
So how can you identify kidney stones? Lakshmanan says to watch for sudden, severe pain in the back or side, nausea and vomiting, groin pain as the stone passes down the urinary tract and blood in the urine.
Though painful, smaller stones can pass on their own. Larger stones may need surgical removal, so, prevention is key. That means reducing sodium intake and staying hydrated.
Another way to fight kidney stones is by drinking lemonade. It contains inhibitors that can help dissolve stones. But with lemonade, you have to watch your sugar intake.
Kidney stones also have a hereditary element, so if your parents or grandparents had stones, kids are at a high risk and once you develop stones, chances are you'll develop them again.
