Kidney stones are a hard calcium mass formed in the kidneys.
They sometimes stay in the kidney and cause no issues but if they’re trying to pass out of the kidney and get stuck, they can cause extreme pain.
Kidney stones are starting to show up more and more in children. Each year, more than half a million Americans go to the ER for kidney stones.
Severe pain, bloody urine and vomiting are three of the symptoms. The number of children suffering from kidney stones has grown steadily during the last several years.
Those who have kidney stones have a 50 percent risk of developing another one within five to seven years.
Risk factors for kids include being overweight, being dehydrated and being prescribed unnecessary antibiotics.
Risks also increase during temperature extremes. So make sure your children drink extra fluids in the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter.
Inactivity and diets high in sodium from processed foods or table salt may also increase the risk.
A small kidney stone may pass through the urinary tract on its own, causing little pain. Larger stones that get stuck may require medication or other treatments.