For unknown reasons, they strike men three to four times more than women. It is estimated that most men have about a 10 percent chance of experiencing stones in their lifetimes. That may be attributable to heat factors in those states that can cause mild dehydration, which contributes to stones. Stones can occur at any time, at first with few symptoms. Most people develop small, uncomplicated calcium stones that are either passed or easily treated.
Larger stones can require multi- ple treatments.
Seventy percent of stone sufferers are prone to recurrences. The good news is that with today's technology, stones are easier to detect and treat. Outpatient clinics across the United States specialize in treating stones, often in a matter of hours and sometimes with one treatment. In previous decades, surgery was required to treat kidney stones. Today, the universal stone treatment is known as lithotripsy, a precise, non-invasive procedure that often allows patients to return to work the next day.