Some people who’ve had kidney stones say they’re more painful than having a baby. Doctors say if you don’t take the right precautions in the Texas heat, your chances go up of getting one.
A few months ago David Bauman, 46, says he experienced the worst pain of his life
�It was just so intense it caused me to vomit,� Bauman said.
Bauman was feeling a kidney stone trying to make its way out of his system.
�It was almost like someone was sticking a knife in your back and going up and down,� he said.
As part of natural metabolism, the body creates and filters crystals from the kidneys.
�If we don’t have enough urine to wash those crystals out they can start bumping into each other and forming stones,� urologist Dr. Richard Chopp
said.
Doctors say the Texas heat and a lack of hydration puts Austinites at greater risk of kidney stones.
�The major cause in Austin is a fluid problem,� Chopp said.
To decrease your chances of having a kidney stone, Chopp says, avoid salt and drink a lot of water and lemonade.
�When citrate is excreted in the urine it acts as an inhibitor for those crystals to stick together,� Chopp said.
Since Bauman had a kidney stone, his chances of getting another one increased. So he’s drinking lots of water.
�Probably eight to 10 glasses a day if not more,� Bauman said.
Doctors say a family history of kidney stones also puts you at greater risk.
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