Taking calcium supplements at breakfast or between meals somehow spills too much calcium into the urine. There may be some other property in dairy products that reduces the risk of stone formation. An estimated 12 percent of Americans develop them at some point in their lifetime, and they seen to run in families. They are three times more common in women. They are also extremely painful.
Many stones wash out with the urine without any help from doctors.
That leaves several options, including surgery, being removed through a tube, and being pulverized with shock waves. Since stones are most common in summer, dehydration probably has something to do with the problem. Doctors generally advise people who have had stones or who come from families with a history of kidney stones to drink 10 to 12 glasses of water a day. Research suggests that the thiazides increase the calcium deposits in the bones. There is evidence from previous studies that a diet high in salt, sugar or meat may increase the risk for stone formation, and that a diet rich in foods containg potassium and magnesium ay decrease the risk.