Ouch: Climate Change Means More Kidney Stones

What's the betting people in the Bible Belt, Rust Belt and Grain Belt just undo their belts, kick back and turn up the air conditioning... that belt's definitely heading north!

That was NOT funny, saying "this too shall pass."
Okay, maybe it was clever, intentionally or not, but anyone who has ever had kidney stones knows they are no laughing matter. In fact, except for outright torture, I can't imagine many things as painful as passing a kidney stone--or, even worse, being unable to pass them and having to have an operation to remove them, which happened to me. It's excruciating, either way. I suppose it's probably about the same kind of pain women experience in prolonged or difficult labor...but honestly, women have a much higher tolerance for pain than men, I believe, despite all the posturing of men. You may react in a stoic manner, but that doesn't mean you're not in severe pain.
When I had over 20 kidney stones removed from one kidney, and a couple big ones removed from the other kidney, they put these wires (I forget what call them..shunts, or something like that..I've tried to block it out)into the two small tubes that lead from your kidney to your bladder--ones ureters. But when they took them out (they were put in while I was under), I was fully awake, and they stuck this huge hose up through my penis, into my urthetha, then put a wire with two pinchers on the end up through that, and just pulled these wires out. They looked like something that would come out of a car! And, while it was a short procedure, it was incredibly painful. I had to take 3 Xanax just to go to the appointment, which I cancelled twice before finally getting up the courage to go. I knew, despite the doctor saying it wasn't that painful (how do they know? Ever had it done to yourself?)I knew it would be, from the very nature of the procedure, very painful..and I was right. I didn't have insurance, so I couldn't afford to be put under again. It cost about 40,000 dollars for the procedures. Luckily, my step-father was able to pay for it. He was in real-estate, and this happened before the bubble burst, luckily.
Having kidney stones which won't pass is extremely painful, too...it comes and goes, but when it comes it feels like someone has hit you in the kidney(s) with a sledge-hammer.

Alan, count your blessings. Pain is a small price to pay ...

I have seen patients who so damaged their kidneys from stones that they will sooner more so than later lose that kidney or even both of them.

As a medical intern in the '50's in North Carolina I was told that this hot climate was in the 'Kidney Stone' Belt, a fact known by doctors for years. Hydration does indeed helps to reduce the likelihood of forming kidney stones by making the urine more dilute, but certain people are more prone to specific types of kidney stone formation. Not everyone will develop stones, but staying hydrated (but not over hydrated) in hot climates is generally a good idea.

Maggie N (Retired physician, but not a stone former)

Drinking water can also carry perils on the kidney stone front, or at least certain kinds of water. Years ago, when I was based in Saudi Arabia, I recall a doctor telling me that kidney stones were a problem made worse by the widespread drinking of bottled mineral waters ( a lot of local and imported brands had a high mineral content). You do need to drink plenty of water but also watch what you drink when you drink water.

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