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Save Yourself Severe Pain from Kidney Stones

by , | Last updated Jun 23, 2026 | Kidney Health

Large kidney stones can cause some of the most severe pain when they block the flow of urine. More than one in ten people will develop a kidney stone sometime in their lives. Will you be among them? How can you reduce your risk of kidney stones?

More people around the world are getting kidney stones. The number of cases is increasing. These increases are across gender, race, and age. In the United States, 11% of Americans will develop kidney stones during their lifetime, according to a 2025 report.1

The rate of recurring kidney stones is high. At least one recurrence of kidney stones is seen during ten years in 50% of individuals and in 90% of individuals, a recurrence is seen in 30 years.2

Signs and Symptoms

You might not even know you have a kidney stone until it moves inside the kidney or passes into a ureter. Ureters are two tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. At that point, according to the Mayo Clinic, these signs and symptoms may occur:

  • Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs
  • Pain that spreads to the lower abdomen and groin
  • Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity
  • Painful urination
  • Pink, red, or brown urine
  • Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Persistent urge to urinate
  • Urinating more often than usual
  • Fever and chills if an infection is present

So that you know, the location of pain caused by a kidney stone may change as the stone moves through your urinary tract.

Signs of More Trouble to Come

As previously mentioned, having one kidney stone substantially increases the risk of another. One study found that even after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, individuals with kidney stones were 19% more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 40% more likely to have a stroke when compared with patients who did not have kidney stones.3

Another study found that stone formers had 31% increased risk for heart attacks after adjustment for chronic kidney disease and other comorbidities. 4  A 2023 meta-analysis concluded that kidney stone disease is associated with an approximately 20%-40% higher risk for coronary artery disease, stroke from reduced blood flow to the brain, and diseases of the arteries.5

Individuals who have had a kidney stone may be twice as likely to have kidney failure later.6 Kidney stones increase the risk of kidney cancer.7

Are You at Risk For Kidney Stones?

  • Common risk factors include the following:
  • Dehydration
  • Low urinary volume
  • Personal history or family history of kidney stones
  • Elevated uric acid/history of gout
  • Obstruction to the flow of urine
  • Diabetes or its precursor, insulin resistance, can increase the risk for kidney stones composed of uric acid.
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity doubles the risk of developing kidney stones.
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Elevated calcium. If your calcium level is elevated, have your doctor check your parathyroid hormone. Note that insufficient calcium intake can also increase the risk.
  • Nutritional factors: increased intake of protein, salt, or oxalate, decreased intake of calcium, too much salt, and vitamin D toxicity
  • Alcohol, smoking, and opium use
  • Inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal bypass surgery
  • Shift work and disturbed circadian rhythm8
  • History of kidney diseases

Composition of Kidney Stones

Calcium oxalate, a naturally occurring substance found in food, makes up the composition of most kidney stones.

Calcium-phosphate stones: Frequent consumption of animal protein-rich foods, fruit juices, sodas, and processed foods that have added phosphorus and excess sodium increases the risk of calcium phosphate stones.

Less common stones are struvite stones that can form due to a urinary tract infection.

Uric acid stones may result from not drinking enough water or eating a high-protein diet.  Frequent consumption of animal protein, sugar, and alcohol increases the risk for uric acid stones.

There are other rare-occurring stones as well.

Drink Sufficient Water (Not Just Any Fluid)

Dehydration is the most common cause of kidney stones. Since adequate water intake reduces one’s risk for urinary tract infection, it follows that sufficient water intake reduces one’s risk for struvite stones. In addition, it lowers the urinary concentration of all crystal-forming substances.9

Drink enough water to keep your urine clear or straw-colored. If you take medicine or a vitamin pill, the color of your urine may not be a reliable sign of adequate hydration. In that case, drink 6 to 8  eight-ounce glasses of water throughout the day (preferably not at mealtime) unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

The fresh juice from two lemons taken daily reduces the recurrence of calcium oxalate kidney stones.10

Tea for Two? Perhaps Not

Iced tea is a popular drink in the summertime. However, a Loyola University Medical Center urologist warns that tea can contribute to painful kidney stones. High concentrations of oxalate, a key ingredient in many teas, lead to kidney stones. During the summer, people can become dehydrated from sweating. Black tea and matcha have high levels of oxalate. Green and oolong teas have a moderate amount of oxalates.

Dehydration, combined with increased iced tea consumption, raises the risk of kidney stones, especially in at-risk people. “For persons tending to form the most common type of kidney stones, iced tea is one of the worst things to drink,” says Dr. John Milner, assistant professor at Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.11 Green tea has less oxalate than black tea.

Coke, Anyone?

Soft drinks and sweetened beverages are linked to increased kidney stone formation. One analysis found that people who drank just one sugary cola per day had a 23% higher risk for kidney stone formation compared to those individuals who had a maximum of one per week.12

High fructose corn syrup not only can damage the liver but can also increase the uric acid level.13  In addition, colas, rich in phosphates, can increase stone formation. and have been linked to increased kidney damage and kidney failure.

Move Those Bones to Squelch Those Stones!

Physical activity reduces the risk of kidney stones. Researchers evaluated the records of thousands of postmenopausal women to determine whether energy intake and expenditure contribute to kidney stone formation. Dr. Sorensen, from the University of Washington School of Medicine, said, “Even small amounts of exercise may decrease the risk of kidney stones—it does not need to be marathons, as the intensity of the exercise does not seem to matter.”

Even three hours of average walking ( 2-3 miles per hour), or four hours of light gardening, or one hour of moderate jogging (6 mph) per week can make a difference. Physical activity decreased the risk of developing kidney stones by 31%.14

Also, the research team discovered another factor that increases the risk of kidney stones. Consuming more than 2200 calories per day increased the risk of developing kidney stones by up to 42%.15

For overall good health, Dr. Sorensen concluded by advising people to be aware of their calorie intake, watch their weight, and do some exercise at least several hours a week.16 Since recurrent kidney stones may increase the risk of kidney disease and kidney failure over time, regular moderate exercise helps to protect the kidneys.

In another study, Dr. Robinson-Cohen said, “It is demonstrated that even small amounts of physical activity, such as walking 60 minutes per week, might slow the rate of kidney disease progression. Physical inactivity is emerging as one of the few risk factors for kidney disease progression that is amenable to intervention.”17

Moderate exercise, such as walking, is superior to running, which decreases the amount of blood flowing from the heart to the kidneys to 1%. Vigorous and high-intensity exercise for a long time, especially without sufficient hydration and electrolytes, is a risk factor for kidney stones.18

What You Eat Makes a Difference

Animal Protein

Limit the animal protein.19  A high protein diet increases the chance of developing kidney stones and other renal diseases. This diet greatly reduces urinary citrate, which keeps calcium salts from crystallizing.

Consuming excessive animal protein makes the urine more acidic, increasing urinary calcium. These physiological processes promote the formation of calcium-forming stones. Dr. Virginia Aparicio, the chief contributor to the study, warns that the negative effects of high-protein diets on the kidneys also depend on the presence or absence of other dietary nutrients. “Eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of kidney stones forming—probably due to their high potassium and magnesium content, which compensates for the acidity of the high-protein diet.”20

There is another point to consider: Meats and other animal proteins contain purines that make uric acid, thereby increasing the risk of uric acid stones.

Calcium and Magnesium

Be sure to get enough calcium and magnesium from your food. You might think that since calcium is involved in forming two types of kidney stones, you need to restrict it. However, calcium from food does not increase one’s risk for calcium oxalate stones because calcium in the intestines binds to oxalate from food, preventing it from entering the bloodstream and, consequently, the urinary tract.

Broccoli, kale, and turnip greens provide good amounts of calcium and magnesium but are reasonably low in oxalate. While spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens provide calcium and magnesium, they are high in oxalate and should not be consumed in large amounts by anyone prone to oxalate stones.

Since citrate helps to protect from kidney stones, calcium citrate is a better choice if you must have a calcium supplement, unless you have an iron deficiency. Be aware that a magnesium or potassium deficiency and high animal protein intake can reduce citrate levels. Greens, legumes, and whole grains provide magnesium. Various fruits and vegetables provide ample potassium if one is not on a diuretic.

Watch Your Sodium!

Reduce your sodium and salt intake. Excessive sodium consumption increases the risk of calcium oxalate stones and calcium phosphate stones. Why? Too much sodium increases urinary calcium loss. High calcium can combine with oxalate and phosphate in urine to form stones. Although we need some sodium for the nervous system to work, most of us exceed the US daily requirement of 2300 milligrams of sodium.

Salt, processed foods, canned soups, luncheon meats, aged cheese, pickles, and even puddings are high in sodium. Could you be sure to read labels? Please note that if you have pre-hypertension, hypertension, or diabetes, aim for a daily intake of 1500 milligrams of sodium unless otherwise directed by your physician.

You May Need to Limit Your Intake of Oxalates

If you are prone to calcium oxalate stones, avoid high oxalate-containing foods. Oxalate is found in a variety of foods, so you cannot avoid it totally. Oxalates provide some anti-cancer activity and help to detoxify heavy metals. The following foods can increase the amount of oxalate in urine:21

Rhubarb, raw — 1,060 mg
Spinach, raw — 650 to 1,290 mg (varies by variety)
Spinach, cooked — 755 mg (about ½ cup)
Swiss chard, raw — 657 mg
Almonds — 369 mg
Dark chocolate — 232 mg
Peanuts — 131 mg

Beer, black tea, and rosehip tea are exceptionally high in oxalates. Nuts have substantial amounts, too.

Insufficient dietary calcium increases the risk of oxalate stones. 22

Careful With Your Acid Level!

Watch your acid level. Substitute plant proteins for high-purine foods (organ meats, herring, mackerel, and red meat). Generally, saturated fats lower the body’s ability to eliminate uric acid. Since alcohol interferes with eliminating uric acid, it is better not to include it in your diet.

Disturbed Circadian Rhythms

Accumulated evidence indicates that disturbed circadian rhythms and insufficient sleep are risk factors for kidney stones. Both of these increase the risk factors for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension that create an environment more susceptible to stone formation.23

Treatment for Kidney Stones

Many kidney stones will pass within 48 hours if a person drinks enough water. Moist heat applied over the kidneys can ease the pain. One essential caveat here is that heat applications are contraindicated if acute inflammation, kidney cancer, or bleeding are present.

A 5mm stone has a 20% chance of passing naturally, whereas a 4mm stone has an 80% chance of passing without specific treatment. Sometimes medications can facilitate the passage of kidney stones. If the kidney stone is too large, shock waves can break it into smaller pieces that pass more easily through the urinary system. Surgical removal is sometimes necessary. If you suspect a kidney stone, please see your physician.

Conclusion

You can see that preventing a kidney stone is much better than treating it. Prevention saves you pain and money and helps preserve your kidneys.

Nothing beats following an overall healthy lifestyle to prevent disease and discomfort. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day is paramount to maintaining healthy kidneys. Pure water is free of harmful chemicals, caffeine, sugar, sugar substitutes, or acids added by manufacturers, such as phosphoric acid, which jeopardizes the health of your bones.

Exercise, keeping your weight in the recommended range for your height, and eating a well-balanced plant-based diet may very well keep you from experiencing the horrible pain of kidney stones. Therefore, make the necessary changes, and you will be happy with the results.

For more on kidney health, visit:

Does Your Diet Protect or Damage Your Kidneys?

The New Silent Killer: Chronic Kidney Disease

For more info on diabetes, visit:

https://wildwoodhealth.com/category/diabetes-endocrine-health/

For articles on hypertension, visit:

https://wildwoodhealth.com/category/hypertension/

The Wildwood Lifestyle Center specializes in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, arthritis, depression, anxiety, and many other chronic diseases.

To see if Wildwood Lifestyle Center could help you regain your health, visit to see what our programs offer.

https://wildwoodhealth.com/

Disclaimer: The information in this article is general and educational in nature. Wildwood Sanitarium, its entities, or authors do not intend this information as a substitute for proper diagnosis, treatment, or counseling from a qualified medical provider who knows the person’s medical history and laboratory work.

Copyright © by Wildwood Sanitarium, Inc. 2026

References:

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