Though the South has undeniable appeal, the truth is, long hot summers can harm us.  Sometimes we fail to keep ourselves hydrated, which can cause health problems.
Amongst those problems are kidney stones.
Many may not realize that dehydration can cause kidney stones and further, that South Carolina is one of five southern states with our nation’s highest kidney stone rates.  
Kidney stones can form when a person becomes dehydrated, causing urine and the minerals found in the urine to become concentrated.  
The mineral substances form crystals, and then develop in to stones.  
“There are also metabolic diseases that cause stones, including gout,” said   Dr. David W. Brandli of Palmetto Adult and Children’s Urology.
Brandli added that family history and gender play an important role. Men between the ages of 20 and 50 are three times more likely than women to develop a kidney stone.
Most people have heard unpleasant stories about painful kidney stones that range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball or even larger.  Patients experience pain from kidney stones when these stones become lodged in the ureter (small tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), blocking the outflow of urine from the kidney.  
Surgical procedures for kidney stones are designed to relieve this obstruction.
According to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Consumer Health, pain lasting from minutes to hours can result when a kidney stone irritates the urinary tract lining or blocks urine flow.  Other side effects include nausea, vomiting with pain, and pain in the kidneys and lower abdomen or groin.  
But patients have other options now for the elimination of painful kidney stones.
According to Brandli, shock wave lithotripsy is a minimally invasive procedure where fluoroscopy, an imaging technique, is used to allow the physician to view the kidney stone. “Powerful shock waves focus in on the stone to break it up, then the stone fragments pass out of the body with the urine,” he said.  “The procedure is usually performed with light sedation and not general anesthesia.”  
Another procedure, ureteroscopy, involves inserting a ureteroscope (a small viewing instrument) into the ureter.
The urologist passes the ureteroscope through the bladder and the ureter to reach the kidney stone.  Small kidney stones are removed, while larger stones are broken up first, usually with a laser.  
Both shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy are performed by physicians at Trident Health System, the only hospital in the area that makes available to its doctors all of the latest technologies for treating kidney stones, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The benefits of these short procedures are that they greatly reduce pain and usually do not require an overnight stay in the hospital.  “Many patients are pleased with the minimal trauma and pain associated with the procedure.  They can return to work sooner and generally require less pain medication,” said Brandli.
To help reduce the likelihood of kidney stones, staying hydrated is key.  
“Maintaining good hydration is the simplest measure,” Brandli said.  “Water is best, but a variety of clear liquids offer benefit.  
“Ideally, a daily urine output of two liters is recommended.” He added that limiting salt and oxalate (found in peanuts, tea, instant coffee, rhubarb, beets, beans, berries, chocolate, concord grapes, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes and draft beer) in the diet and limiting some meats can help too.  
According to the National Kidney Foundation, though most kidney stones are made of calcium and oxalate, treatment is different for each type of stone.  
A family physician and registered dietician can help determine the right diet for you to help minimize your risk.  
If you do not have a physician, call Trident HealthFinders at 797-FIND.
Heather Bryan is a community relations manager for Trident Health System.