The Symptoms and Risks of Kidney Stones for Men and Women
Many physicians compare the pain of kidney stones to giving birth. Increasingly, more women can say the same from experience.
Would you recognize the symptoms?
Kidney stones afflict an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. each year. And while historically men make up most of the patients, the number of women seeking care is rising, according to a new report in the Urology Times.
From 2017 to 2020 (the most recent year for research) the prevalence of kidney stones among women rose to 9.1%, that’s from 6.5% in 2007 to 2008. Among men, the rate has remained relatively stable, at 11.5%.
Among contributing factors in women may be a rise in obesity rates, menopausal-related changes in metabolism, and the fact that women are more susceptible than men to urinary tract infections.
This matters because women and men can therefore experience different kidney stone symptoms and interpret them differently.
The Events That Cause Stones to Form
Regardless of your gender, kidney stones present the same health risks and should be treated. Here’s why.
For starters, kidney stones are typically caused by dehydration, which can be prevalent in a warm climate like Florida. If you do not have enough fluid in your system, the chemicals in your urine will bind, rather than dissolve, and form tiny crystals. These hard little objects attract other elements and develop into stones.
Some stones can be as tiny as a grain of sand and you might not know you have them. But they can grow to be more than a quarter inch – wider than your ureter, the tube that carries urine from your kidneys to your bladder.
If a stone tries to migrate out of your kidneys, it can get caught in your ureter or further down your urinary tract and block urine flow. This in itself is extremely painful. Further, the blockage forces urine back up into your kidneys, bladder, and ureters, leading to infection.
The Key Kidney Stone Symptoms for Men and Women
In addition to the hallmark symptom of acute pain, men and women experience many of the same signs of kidney stone. There are, however, a couple of key differences:
The location of your pain. If the stones are formed in the lower urinary tract, women might experience pain in the pelvis, while men may hurt in the groin or testicles.
Recurring UTIs. Women with kidney stones are more likely to develop UTIs because kidney stones stimulate bacterial growth. Likewise, chronic UTIs put the patient at higher risk of developing stones. Women have shorter urethras than men, so it’s easier for that bacteria to reach and infect the bladder.
Other stone symptoms, which can occur anywhere from your urethra to your kidneys (above your waist on either side of your spine), are similar among men and women. Pay attention to these warning signs:
- More frequent or urgent urination.
- Occasional burning when you pee.
- Blood in your urine (hematuria)
- Urine that smells like ammonia (owing in part to dehydration).
- Pain on your sides, lower back, and even stomach.
- Chills and fever (from infection).
- Nausea and vomiting.
If you experience these symptoms, you should see a doctor.
How Kidney Stones are Diagnosed and Treated
Your doctor will confirm the presence of kidney stones through urine and blood analyses and imaging, including ultrasounds and CT scans. A stone that is one-fifth of an inch or less can likely travel through your ureter on its own with plenty of water and some pain medication.
If the stones cannot pass or cause complications, your doctor can offer the following treatments:
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) – Typically suggested for large stones or those in the kidneys or ureter, this treatment transmits shock waves to the stone from outside the body, breaking them into small pieces that can pass.
Ureteroscopy – In this approach, recommended for stones in the ureter, the doctor threads a slender scope through the urethra and bladder to the stones and breaks them down (usually with lasers), and extracts the fragments through the scope.
Surgical removal – When stones become complex or are very large, they can require surgical removal. The surgeon inserts a scope into the kidney through an incision in your back, through which instruments are fed to break up the stones and remove them.
How to Skip Stones: Preventive Tips for Men and Women
In addition to potentially feeling different symptoms, men and women have different risk factors contributing to kidney stones. For example, men tend to eat less calcium, a mineral that can reduce the risk of kidney stones. Too much protein, meanwhile, can raise the risk.
Further, men tend to carry more stone-forming sodium and oxalates in their urine, yet lower urine volume, than women.
To prevent stones from forming, we recommend these healthy practices for all.
- Stay hydrated. Try to get 9 to 13 cups of fluid daily (women and men, respectively). That might sound like a lot, but 20% of the water we get comes from foods such as fruits, vegetables, popsicles, and soups.
- Mix calcium with oxalates. Calcium helps prevent stones by binding with oxalates in the stomach and intestines, improving their passage through the kidneys. For this reason, it’s smart to combine calcium- and oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, almonds, sweet potatoes, and even chocolate.
- Avoid cigarette smoke. This includes second-hand smoke. Ongoing research links toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke to kidney stone development, increasing the odds among active smokers by 30%.
These practices can help reduce the rate of kidney stones developing in both men and women, and ideally reverse that rising growth rate among women.
Want to learn more? Visit our kidney stones website to learn about risks and treatment options. If you suspect you have kidney stones, contact a specialist at one of our 37 locations.