Presentations of kidney stones tends to increase during summer when rising temperatures and higher humidity lead to dehydration, according to a news item in USA Today. Climate change might be a big-picture factor in the rising rates of kidney stones, but an individual’s dietary choices are also likely contributing to the increase, according to a source quoted in the news item. A study published a year ago in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases found that emergency room visits to New York state hospitals for kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and other kidney injuries rose during warmer months, especially in May when the weather starts warming up and in September as summer ends.
More research needed: The reasons behind the summer rise are not clear, nor is the exact role of sunlight, temperature, or humidity, according to a separate 2023 study in Healthcare. Read more from the JUCM archive: Detection And Management Of Urinary Calculi In The Urgent Care Setting