Why is the kidney stones problem increasing in the youngsters now?
From the size of a grain to the size of a golf ball, there could be kidney stones present in us!! Really shocking isn`t it!!
World Kidney Day is celebrated on Thursday, 14th March 2024. The theme for the day is kidney health for all. It must be noted that the main objective behind world kidney day is to create awareness regarding the importance of kidney health, risks associated with kidney disease etc.
In our kidneys or urinary tract, there would be the formation of hard deposits of minerals and salts and these are called kidney stones or renal calculi. Point is that the kidney stones would vary in size and it could be from as small as a grain to as big as a golf ball. Not only elderly persons but also young people can get kidney stones in them. Presence of a kidney stone would make the lives of the person highly uncomfortable
There are several reasons why youngsters get kidney stones more now and they are
Dietary habits:
Kidney stones can occur in the youngsters if they consume high amounts of salt, sugar and processed foods etc. It is learnt that excess intake of oxalate rich foods like spinach, nuts and chocolate could also result in kidney stones.
Dehydration:
Many of us do not consume adequate amounts of water everyday due to many reasons. The bitter fact is that this dehydration due to lack of water could lead to kidney stones formation also. When a person doesn`t drink enough water then his or her urine would become concentrated and it would make the minerals crystallise and form stones.
Obesity:
It is a known fact that obesity can lead to many health issues. Obesity can also be a reason for kidney stones formation. Being obese could change the metabolism of calcium, oxalate and other substances involved in stone formation.
Sedentary lifestyle:
Kidney stones can also be due to lack of physical activity or sedentary lifestyle. It is believed that by doing regular exercises the risk of getting kidney stones could be lowered in the youngsters.
Environmental factors:
There are many young persons who get kidney stones now and that could be due to environmental factors like pollutants and environmental contaminants etc.
Stress:
Point to be noted is that stress could lead to poor dietary choices, dehydration and unhealthy lifestyle habits etc. These can contribute to the kidney stones in young persons.
