Nephrology

| 07 July 2025

 

Kidney Stone Myths and Misconceptions

Kidney stones are one of the most painful medical conditions, affecting people at a rapid pace in recent decades due to unhealthy eating habits and changing lifestyles. Although medical advancements have made unprecedented progress in the prevention and treatment of kidney stones, the lack of awareness among people about this disease, from kidney stone treatment myths to misconceptions about kidney stones, often causes uncertainty and unnecessary anxiety. Additionally, misleading advice about kidney stones can put you in serious trouble related to the disease. So in this blog, we will dispel widespread common misconceptions about kidney stones, explain the truth about kidney stone prevention, and provide reliable information to help you make decisions.

Since the symptoms and severity of kidney stones vary from person to person, the possible treatment and prevention methods may also vary depending on the size, type, and location of the kidney stone.  In such a situation, this is enough to confuse anyone in general or due to lack of information. Additionally, due to the unpleasant reputation, increasing frequency and misconceptions about kidney stones, people are eager to take every possible precaution to stay away from them. 

As a result of this emphasis, it is not surprising that there are many myths surrounding kidney stone treatment among people. This is why there is more confusion than the truth about kidney stone prevention, which has led to many myths about kidney stone causes, preventive measures, and facts about kidney stone formation. So, it is necessary to know the facts for effective prevention and management. So here we ensure what you need to know about kidney stones, that you should know to avoid misleading advice about kidney stones. Because we aim to dispel misconceptions about treatment and causes. So, to understand kidney stone facts vs. myths, this section summarizes the prevalent misconceptions.

 

Myth 1: Only Older People Get Kidney Stones

One of the most persistent myths about kidney stones is that they only affect older people. The truth about kidney stones is that they can affect anyone of all ages. Debunking kidney stone myths like this one is important because it highlights the need for everyone, regardless of age, to be mindful of their kidney health.

 

Risk Factors Beyond Age: Diet, Hydration, and Genetics

Elderly people may indeed have a higher risk of developing kidney stones, or their potential risk may increase with age, but this is not a fact, because as per research, only older people get kidney stones. This is not entirely true. It is one of the misconceptions about kidney stones because they can affect people of all ages, including children and teens. Additionally, the risk factors such as diet, hydration, genetics, and certain medical and lifestyle conditions can potentially contribute to the formation of kidney stones, regardless of age.
 

Myth 2: Drinking Milk Causes Kidney Stones

Fact: This myth stems from one of the false beliefs about kidney stones, that consuming dairy products, especially drinking milk, causes kidney stones. However, research shows that moderate intake of calcium-rich foods, including milk, can reduce the risk of kidney stones.

 

Importance of Balanced Calcium Intake for Prevention

A common misconception about kidney stones is that consuming milk or other calcium-rich foods causes kidney stones. In reality, balanced calcium from food sources is essential for preventing kidney stones. This myth about kidney stone causes can lead people to avoid necessary dietary calcium, which can increase the risk of stone formation. It’s vital to understand the facts about kidney stone formation to make informed dietary choices.
 

Myth 3: All Kidney Stones Are Painful

Another common misconception about kidney stones is that all kidney stones cause extreme pain. While kidney stones are often associated with severe discomfort, but not all stones are painful, especially when they first form or when they are small. By dispelling kidney stone myths such as that all kidney stones are painful, we can better understand when medical intervention is necessary.

 

When Kidney Stones Cause Pain and When They Don’t

Kidney stones usually do not cause any symptoms in the early stages until they cause a blockage in the ureter. Over time, as the stones get larger, they are more likely to get stuck in the ureter, and the stone getting stuck in the ureter will block and widen the passage causing spasms in the ureter muscles, which can cause severe pain right down to the back and ribs. The size and type of stones are only one more factor in how painful and bothersome a kidney stone can be, the location of the kidney stone is another element that must be considered as a small stone in the wrong place can cause a blockage and severe pain. Additionally, pain can occur if the stone causes a urinary tract infection.

 

Myth 4: Cranberry Juice Prevents Kidney Stones

Cranberry juice is often touted as a natural remedy for various urinary problems, leading to the myth that it also prevents kidney stones. However, this is only the misleading kidney stone advice associated with kidney stone prevention. This is because cranberry juice is high in oxalate, which binds with calcium to form calcium oxalate and may increase the risk of kidney stones. Although cranberry juice may be beneficial for urinary tract health, it is not effective in preventing kidney stones. Instead, understanding the right dietary choices is key to kidney stone prevention.

 

Effective Dietary Choices for Kidney Stone Prevention

The truth about kidney stone prevention often debunking kidney stone myths, ranging from preventive treatments to dietary choices misleading you. Currently, most research suggests that adopting a healthy lifestyle and making some minor changes to your diet can prevent kidney stones. These are some simple steps you can easily incorporate into your daily life to keep kidney stones at bay:

• Drink plenty of fluids: The easiest way to prevent kidney stone formation is to stay hydrated throughout the day, which results in dissolving urine salts and slowing down the process of salt accumulation. To stay well hydrated, you can drink citrus juices such as lemonade and orange juice in addition to plain water; a recent review found that the citrate in juices helps prevent stone formation.
• Reduce sodium intake: High intake of salt in food prevents the reabsorption of calcium from urine into the blood, which can increase your risk of kidney stones. Hence, avoiding high-sodium foods such as chips, salty biscuits, chivda, chakli, etc. in the diet can be an effective option to avoid sodium intake for kidney stone prevention.
   

Myth 5: Kidney Stones Always Require Surgery

Many people believe that surgery is the only option for treating kidney stones, while this is another false beliefs about kidney stones or misconceptions because surgery for kidney stones depends on its size, location, and the patient's symptoms. In fact, most stone cases can be treated with medication or minimally invasive procedures like lithotripsy. A clear understanding of the kidney stone facts vs. myths can help you make more informed decisions about your treatment options.

 

Success Rates of Medication and Minimally Invasive Procedures

Medications and minimally invasive procedures are effective treatment options for kidney stones. Medications such as alpha-blockers can help dissolve and expel small crystals, thus avoiding the need for minimally invasive or surgical intervention. However, in the case of larger kidney stones or some other cases, laparoscopic surgery, endoscopic surgery, and robot-assisted surgery may be used. Medications and minimally invasive procedures have a success rate of 80 to 90 percent. With increasing medical advancement, these techniques have rapidly increased the success rate of kidney stone treatment and have also been successful in effectively reducing the complications of kidney stone treatment. This is the reason why medications and minimally invasive procedures are preferred in most cases instead of open surgery in the treatment of kidney stones today.
 

Myth 6: Once You Have a Kidney Stone, You’ll Always Get Them

A common misconception is that once you have had kidney stones, you are destined to suffer from them again and again. However, this is only one of the myths about kidney stone causes and it ignores the power of lifestyle changes. By adopting healthy habits, many people can significantly reduce their risk of having stones in the future. Current medical advances often debunking kidney stone myths strongly and highlight the importance of active prevention strategies.

 

Lifestyle Changes That Make a Difference

Modifications to one's lifestyle are crucial for controlling and preventing kidney stones. These minor lifestyle adjustments can have a significant impact on long-term health and kidney stone prevention.

• Water consumption should be sufficient. Staying hydrated throughout the day lowers the concentration of minerals in the urine and lowers the risk of stone formation.
• Reduce the amount of salt and protein in your diet: Consuming too much of either might hasten the development of kidney stones.
• Eat less foods high in oxalate, such as spinach, tea, chocolate, and so on. Oxalate can cause calcium oxalate stones.
• Maintaining a healthy weight is important for weight management since being overweight or obese increases the risk
• Weight control: Try to stay within a healthy weight range because obesity and overweight can raise the risk of kidney stones.
• Frequent exercise: Frequent exercise helps to maintain the body's calcium balance in addition to helping to control weight.
• Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine because they can dehydrate your body and raise your risk of kidney stones.
• Nutritious and well-balanced diet: Include whole grains, fresh produce, and other fruits to give the body the nutrition it needs and to lower the risk of kidney stones.
   

Myth 7: You Can Pass Kidney Stones by Jumping Up and Down

One of the more unusual and false beliefs about kidney stones is that jumping up and down can help pass kidney stones. While physical activity can sometimes assist in moving a stone, this method is not a reliable or recommended treatment. By debunking kidney stone myths like this, we can focus on more effective strategies for managing the kidney stone condition.

 

The Role of Physical Activity in Stone Passage

Physical activity can help kidney stones pass through the urinary tract in certain situations, as physical activity keeps the body's muscles active and improves blood circulation, which can increase the chances of small kidney stones moving easily through the urinary tract and helping them pass through the urethra.

However, you should be cautious in this situation and avoid doing any excessive physical activity, as it can increase pain and discomfort. Here are some suggestions for exercising when you have kidney stones: walking, climbing stairs, light running, etc. But drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise as it can cause dehydration in the body, which can worsen the problem of kidney stones. Although it can help in the natural passage of kidney stones, it can also play a positive role in preventing their recurrence.

 

Myth 8: Spicy Foods Cause Kidney Stones

Due to a lack of facts about kidney stone formation, spicy foods are often blamed for kidney stones. But this is nothing more than myths about kidney stone causes. The real culprits are foods rich in oxalate, sodium, and certain types of proteins that can promote kidney stone formation.

Understanding the kidney stone myths and facts related to food can help you avoid foods that are responsible for kidney stones as well as dispel these kidney stone myths associated with food and causes and make better dietary choices.

 

Foods That Actually Contribute to Kidney Stones

 

• Oxalate-rich foods: spinach, beets, chocolate, tea, nuts and seeds
   
• High-salt foods: processed foods, fast food, salty snacks, canned soups and sauces
   
• Protein-rich foods: red meat, chicken, fish and eggs
   
• Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup-rich foods: sweetened beverages, carbonated drinks, processed juices, sweets and cakes

 

Myth 9: Drinking Beer Helps Pass Kidney Stones

Beer is a diuretic and helps in increasing urination, which can help in flushing out small stones. But the truth about kidney stone prevention is that drinking beer alone will not flush them out.

This is just one of the false beliefs about kidney stones, as beer is not the kind of hydration that is beneficial for kidney health. In fact, it contains alcohol and if consumed excessively and for a long time, can dehydrate the body, increasing the chances of stones. So avoid this kind of misleading advice about kidney stones and opt for healthy hydration options that can actually help in preventing kidney stones.

 

Healthy Hydration Choices for Prevention

 

• Plain water:  Plain water is the safest and simplest form of hydration that effectively contributes to reducing the risk of kidney stones.
   
• Coconut water: Packed with hydrating and diuretic qualities that naturally aid in the removal of toxins from the body.
   
• Lemon water: Packed with citric acid, which keeps calcium stones from forming.
  Barley water: Traditionally used to prevent kidney stones and cleanse the kidneys.
   
• Unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices: These include cucumber, watermelon, and orangejuice, which boost hydration and supply vital nutrients to the body.
   
• Herbal teas: Teas that assist the body detoxify, including hibiscus or kidney cleansing tea.
  Rich in calcium, milk, and buttermilk can lower the chance of oxalate stones forming (avoid excessive consumption).

 

Myth 10: You Don’t Need to Worry About Small Kidney Stones

Every kidney stone should be treated medically because the truth is that even small stones can grow into large ones or cause complications if ignored. Although most kidney stones disappear naturally, but there are many myths about kidney stone treatment from a medical point of view, because today with the growing advances in medicine, there are many treatments in this field like laser therapy, minimally invasive surgery, or shockwave lithotripsy that can treat it at the opd level without any major complications. Understanding the kidney stone treatment myths can help to reduce the possible complications related to kidney stones in time.

 

Importance of Regular Monitoring and Follow-Up

Kidney stones are a problem that requires regular monitoring and follow-up for prevention and cure. Frequent monitoring helps the physician properly assess the patient's condition and determine if the stones are getting larger.

Regular imaging tests, such as CT, X-rays or ultrasound, are useful in monitoring the growth of stones. This makes it possible to properly plan treatment before stones form, which can prevent major difficulties.

The physician evaluates the changes made to the patient's diet, refreshment and lifestyle during follow-up and makes any necessary suggestions. In addition, follow-up visits verify that the patient is taking his or her medications as prescribed.

If stones are already there or have recently been removed, constant monitoring and follow-up can prevent them from returning. Regular follow-up and monitoring are therefore important to minimize kidney stone-related problems and maintain long-term health.

 

Related: Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Its Causes

 

The prevalence of myths and misconceptions about kidney stones underlines the importance of accurate information. By debunking these common misconceptions about kidney stones, we hope to empower you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about kidney health. Remember, understanding the kidney stone facts vs. myths is the first step towards effective prevention and treatment. Based on which, very important steps like lifestyle changes, proper hydration, and regular monitoring can be taken to manage the problem of kidney stones and prevent its recurrence.

This provides an approach of proper therapy, monitoring, and follow-up beyond the possibility of natural passage of existing stones that can help monitor the condition of the stones and restrict and remove them with timely appropriate treatment. Thus, the pain and discomfort associated with kidney stones can be avoided in time, and a healthy life can be lived overall