How to Control the Risk of Kidney Stone in Women

Medically reviewed by Janice Litza, MD

Last Updated: May 18, 2022 References

Kidney stones are small formations of minerals and other chemicals that occur in the kidneys and are passed out through the urinary tract. Sometimes, they grow so large that they get stuck and cause immense pain. While men are at higher risk of developing kidney stones,^{[1]
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Research source} women are getting them at increased rates.^{[2]
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Research source} Learn how to reduce your risk of developing stones.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

1
Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water (roughly 8-10 glasses per day) will help you eliminate the different kinds of wastes that can build up and develop into kidney stones. Proper hydration will also help you keep your urine’s PH level balanced, which will reduce the risk of forming phosphate-based kidney stones.^{[3]
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Research source}
- If you have an especially active lifestyle or live in a hot climate, drinking more water will be necessary to stay properly hydrated.
2
Don’t drink soda. Diets high in soda are associated with an increased risk of kidney stones due to their high sugar and phosphate content.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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3
Balance calcium and oxalate-rich foods. One of the most common kinds of kidney stone forms when too much calcium or oxalate builds up in the renal system. These are known as calcium-oxalate stones.^{[5]
X
Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Calcium is typically found in dark green vegetables, dairy products, and animal protein.^{[6]
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Research source} Oxalate (or oxalic acid) is a compound that generally comes from plants.^{[7]
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Research source} Both are healthy in moderation. Keeping your intake of dietary calcium and oxalate balanced will cause the calcium and oxalate to bind to each other in the intestines, reducing the amount of either that the kidneys will absorb.^{[8]
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Research source}^{[9]
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Research source}
- The most commonly-consumed oxalate-rich foods are chocolate, rhubarb, tea, spinach, strawberries, wheat bran, nuts, and beets.
- Don’t restrict your calcium intake too much. Low levels of calcium can also lead to kidney stones.
4
Avoid consuming too much sodium. Too much sodium in the diet may increase your calcium level to a point where you will run a higher risk of developing kidney stones.^{[10]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- Talk to your doctor to determine an appropriate level of sodium for your diet.
- Processed foods such as hot dogs, canned soups, lunchmeats, and fast foods frequently contain high levels of sodium.^{[11]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
5
Cut back on animal protein. Eating too much animal protein may increase the amount of calcium in your body, as well as uric acid, which can collect in the kidneys and turn into stones. Although overconsumption of animal protein is a greater risk factor for kidney stones in men than in women, it is probably safest to avoid it no matter what.^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- Red meats, organ meats, and shellfish are particularly high-risk forms of animal protein.^{[13]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} They contain high levels of purines, which are substances that can increase uric acid content in urine.^{[14]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} These foods, along with poultry, also reduce your production of citrate, which can stop stones from forming.^{[15]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}
6
Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is another serious risk factor for developing kidney stones, particularly in women.^{[16]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- Calculating your Body Mass Index (or BMI) is a good starting point for determining if you are at a healthy weight for your height.^{[17]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
- A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Being Careful With Medications

1
Avoid taking too many calcium supplements. Moderate levels of dietary calcium can help you avoid kidney stones. But your body might not absorb supplemental calcium as easily, and too much of it can build up in your kidneys and lead to stones.^{[18]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- Calcium supplements can be useful for helping with osteoporosis, which women commonly encounter later in life. Unfortunately, your risk of developing kidney stones as a result of taking too many calcium supplements goes up as you age.^{[19]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source} Therefore talk to your doctor to determine if calcium supplements are necessary for you, and if so, at what level. Remember that your body will typically absorb nutrients more easily if they are consumed as food rather than supplements.
2
Get the recommended 2mg of vitamin B6 daily. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin B6 is 2mg, and doses higher than that have not been shown to decrease your risk of kidney stones.^{[20]
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Research source} Get the recommended daily amount to reduce your risk, but avoid taking megadoses of B6.
3
Stick with the recommended 60mg of vitamin C daily. Taking too much vitamin C can reduce your risk of kidney stones, but vitamin C is an essential vitamin for good health. Therefore, just aim for the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. Do not take large doses of it.^{[21]
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- Try drinking a glass of lemonade or water with a tablespoon of lemon juice added to it. You will get some vitamin C and potassium citrate, which can help to prevent kidney stones.^{[22]
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  Research source}
4
Consider taking vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements are commonly thought to increase your risk of developing kidney stones, but recent studies do not show a clear link between vitamin D supplement use and kidney stone development.^{[23]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}^{[24]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- As with calcium supplements, you should talk with your doctor before beginning any vitamin supplement regimen.
5
Talk with your doctor about what medications you take might put you at risk for developing kidney stones. For instance, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin have been linked to a higher risk of developing kidney stones.^{[25]
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Trustworthy Source
University of Rochester Medical Center
Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research
Go to source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Knowing When Your Risk For Kidney Stones Changes

1
Be aware that some medical disorders can lead to kidney stones. Not all kidney stones form as a result of lifestyle or medicine usage.
- Chronic kidney infections can lead to struvite stones. Long-term antibiotic use may be required to prevent these stones from forming regularly.^{[26]
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  Research source}
- Some stones form due to a genetic disorder called cystinuria which causes an overproduction of the chemical cystine in the urinary tract. If left untreated, excess cystine can also develop into stones.^{[27]
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  Research source}
- Other disorders like hyperthyroidism, gout, and urinary tract infections can also increase your risk of developing kidney stones.^{[28]
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  Research source}
2
Understand if your age will contribute to your risk of developing kidney stones. Although anyone can get kidney stones (even children) the chances that you will develop them go up between the ages of 20 and 40.^{[29]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Common risk factors like over-consumption of oxalate are much worse for older women than younger women.^{[30]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}^{[31]
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  Trustworthy Source
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}
- Postmenopausal women with low estrogen levels are more likely to develop stones.^{[32]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cedars Sinai Hospital
  Website of one of the world's leading hospitals
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3
Be especially careful if kidney stones run in your family. If one of your immediate relatives has had a kidney stone, you are 60% more likely to develop a stone. ^{[33]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- Once you develop one kidney stone, your odds of developing another also rise by about 60%.^{[34]
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  Research source}
- People with only one kidney are also at an increased risk.^{[35]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}