Can Drinking Give You Kidney Stones?

05/06/2021

Can Drinking Give You Kidney Stones?

The Connection Between Kidney Stones & Alcohol

The kidneys’ main job is to filter blood in order to keep bodies clean & healthy. Kidneys filter the body of waste through urination and are in charge of maintaining a balance of fluid in the body. These organs, located at the back of the abdomen and under the rib cage on both sides of the spine, play a very important role in keeping our bodies functioning properly. If the kidneys’ process is compromised by something such as heavy amounts of alcohol, complications may arise.

What Drinking Alcohol Does to Your Body

How drinking affects you depends on your body, your size, how often you drink, what you drink, and many other factors. We all know that a glass of wine a day won’t hurt us (it may even be beneficial); but if your habit grows or you don’t stop after that one glass, you may experience some issues in your body. Drinking excessively may eventually lead to:

Dependence
Heart damage
Cancer
Liver damage
Birth defects
Infertility
Lung infections
Pancreatitis
Dehydration
Kidney pain & problems

Kidney Pain After Drinking

If you drink heavily or frequently, you may start to experience kidney pain shortly after drinking. This is because your kidneys are working extra hard to rid your body of the alcohol you drank. Kidney pain may also be a result of some of the complications above. This pain, a soreness in the areas around the kidneys, is typically worse at night and may affect one or both sides of the body. It can either be a dull ache or a sudden and sharp pain that comes and goes.

How Drinking Can Affect the Kidneys

So how is this kidney pain triggered by alcohol? Well, as you can see above, drinking can cause many bodily complications. Issues such as liver disease, gastritis, UTIs, dehydration, acute kidney injuries, kidney infections, and kidney stones may be a result of heavily drinking. All of these disorders have the potential to come with kidney pain, especially kidney stones.

Can Alcohol Cause Kidney Stones?

Yes, alcohol can basically cause kidney stones. However, it isn’t that simple. Alcohol abuse may induce dehydration. Dehydration is one of the main causes of kidney stones, which means that kidney stones and alcohol definitely have a connection.

How to Prevent & Treat Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are very painful but extremely easy to treat. If you experience kidney stones, whether they’re alcohol-induced or otherwise, it’s recommended that you see a doctor as soon as possible to receive kidney stone medications or other types of treatment. If you don’t have access to a hospital or doctor’s office, kidney stones can pass at home and the pain may be eased with home remedies.

To prevent kidney stones, you’re encouraged to take a break from alcohol if you suffer from kidney pain or other side effects from drinking. You should also stay hydrated with water and other non-alcoholic drinks, maintain a low-fat & healthy diet, exercise regularly, begin a new pastime, and take medication if you have a history of kidney complications. To learn more about kidney stones and how they may be caused by alcohol & how you can seek treatment, contact our team of medical professionals by calling (866)-345-2147.