Kidney stones can occur for a variety of reasons and they can be hard to get rid of without medical treatment. In some cases, you might need to go through surgery to get them removed from your body. These are things that you have come to know, but did you know kidney stones can be caused and can cause other health conditions in your body?  Yes, certain health conditions can increase your risk of getting kidney stones, while there are some conditions that you become more susceptible to after getting kidney stones. So, what are these conditions? Let’s find out.

Kidney Stone Risk Factors: Health Conditions That Can Lead To Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are generally caused by sediments in your kidneys that become rock-like over time. These sediments are caused by the abundance of certain chemicals in your body ranging from calcium to uric acid. If any health condition promotes the production or expulsion of these chemicals, it could lead to kidney stones. What are these conditions? Let’s discuss about these kidney stone-related diseases.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is linked with hypertension and it increases your risk of kidney stones. But why? The answer is quite complicated but it goes something like this. As you would know, calcium oxalate stones are the most common kidney stones. High blood pressure affects your body’s calcium metabolism, and that increases your risk of both kidney stones and hypertension. This condition also increases the amount of calcium your body passes through urine, which greatly increases your risk for kidney stones.

But why does high blood pressure affect your body’s ability to process calcium? This is because of sodium. High blood pressure in patients is often attributed to a high-sodium diet. This type of a diet forces your body to pass more calcium through urine, and increases your risk for kidney stones. This in turn connects your hypertension (high blood pressure) and risk of kidney stones.

Today, if you are diagnosed with high pressure, doctors will often ask you to get your kidneys checked to rule out the possibility of kidney stones from the get-go.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a digestive disorder that leads to symptoms like fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. These symptoms lead to, you guessed it, dehydration. And given gastroenteritis is a severe physical condition, you can’t just get over this type of dehydration by drinking water. So, what comes with serious dehydration? The risk of getting kidney stones.

Severe dehydration increases your risk of kidney stones because it makes it easy for stone-forming crystals to coagulate in the absence of appropriate amounts of water in your urine and the urinary tract. Dehydration can also lead to urinary tract infections and they too can lead to kidney stones. So, digestive problems like gastroenteritis are major causes of kidney stones. And the worst part is that people don’t generally suspect it easily.

Given stomach cramps are a symptom of gastroenteritis already, it can be difficult for patients to identify if they have kidney stones too. So, it is crucial that you get medical attention for your condition to ensure your body is not developing kidney stones.

Diabetes

To be specific, type 2 diabetes is linked very distinctly with kidney stones. Studies have shown that patients suffering from type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of kidney stones. Why? Because type 2 diabetes causes insulin resistance in your body. And that resistance causes the calcium levels in your urine to increase. Uric acid levels in your urine are also increased by type 2 diabetes and that can also lead to a different type of kidney stone if left unchecked.

Diabetes is a serious health problem that can lead to a variety of health problems if not kept under regulation. Diabetes can affect your treatment for kidney stones as well because it causes problems with blood clotting. That can be a concern if you have to go through surgery to get rid of your kidney stones. So, if you have diabetes, make sure you get the needed medical care to keep your diabetes levels in check, and also make sure you maintain a low-sodium diet to lower the risk of getting kidney stones.

Genetics

Although genetics is not a health condition, it can be a major cause of kidney stones. There are a specific types of kidney stones that are very hard to treat and they occur almost exclusively due to genetic factors. In addition to genetic factors, if you have been diagnosed with kidney stones once, you will be more susceptible to them in the future quite easily.

If you have a family history of kidney stones, it is crucial that you get checked at the earliest to prevent the possibility of developing them in the future. Various genetic factors such as:

• Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency 
• Primary hyperoxaluria (PH)
• Cystinuria 
• Familial hypomagnesemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis (FHHNC) 
• Dent disease

Can lead to severe kidney stones. If you have any of these conditions be sure to get medical attention.

Ending Note

These are the most common kidney stones linked to medical issues. If you have any of these conditions be sure to get checked for kidney stones regularly. Kidney stones are very common and if left untreated can be very painful. So, if you are showing any of the symptoms of kidney stones or if you have any of the conditions discussed in this article, visit MASSH. We specialize in kidney stone treatment and even offer treatment for diseases that mimic kidney stones. Our minimally invasive surgical procedures can help you get rid of your kidney stones easily with a quick recovery. Head on over to our website to learn more about our kidney stone treatment options.