Kidney stone disease is a deposit in the kidneys of crystals of various salts, most often urates and oxalates. Urates and oxalates are salts of uric acid and oxalate, respectively. When the content of the latter in the urine exceeds their solubility, the excess amounts begin to be deposited in the form of crystals in the kidneys. The mechanical irritation that the stones exert on the surrounding tissues during their movement causes severe pain. The pain is strongest when the stone moves from the renal pelvis into the ureter, i.e. when it begins to be excreted from the body. It covers the respective flank, back, abdomen and groin. The damage to the kidney and urethral tissues by the stones creates favorable conditions for the development of a urinary infection, which is extremely difficult to eliminate, because the porous stones serve as a reservoir for the bacteria. Symptoms of infection include dark and foul-smelling urine, chills, and painful urination. The pain caused by a kidney stone can vary in intensity and location as the stone moves through the urinary tract. After its passage from the ureter to the bladder, it may temporarily disappear and suddenly reappear when the stone enters the urethra. The main types of kidney stones are: Calcium oxalate stones – the risk of their formation is higher with increased intake of calcium and oxalates, such as are found in many leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts. This, of course, does not mean that fruits and vegetables should not be consumed, but that special attention should be paid to patients with concomitant risk factors – metabolic disorders, gastric bypass, family history of kidney stones, vegetarians, etc. Oxalate stones are the most common. Urate stones – urate stones form most often when consuming large amounts of protein. The deposition of urate salts in the joints causes gout, so having one of the two conditions, urate kidney stones and gout, is a risk factor for the other. Struvite stones – they tend to grow very quickly and become symptomatic only after they reach large sizes. They develop most often in response to a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. There are other, rarer types of kidney stones, as well as stones of mixed composition. Today, there are a number of drug, procedural and operative techniques for the treatment of kidney stone disease. Although its complications are rarely serious, the severe pain and discomfort it causes make prevention much preferable to treatment. Although different kidney stones have different characteristics, the prevention of kidney stone disease in all cases has the following key feature – intake of plenty of fluids. Stones form when urine becomes too concentrated and cannot dissolve the salts it contains. This can be prevented by increasing the amount of urine output,respectively – by increasing fluid intake. This is especially true in the hot months, when the evaporation of fluids from the body leads to less urine formation and increases the risk of kidney stone formation. NEWS_MORE_BOX The prevention of kidney stones also includes moderation in the consumption of meat and meat products (for urate stones), monitoring the intake of calcium and oxalates (for oxalate stones), etc. Also, the solubility of different salts is different depending on the pH of the urine. Oxalate stones, for example, are more soluble at low urine pH, so consuming fruit juices lowers the risk of their formation because fruit juices lower urine pH. Urate salts, on the other hand, are more soluble at high urine pH, which is why the intake of urine-alkalizing foods and substances – baking soda, vegetables, etc., lowers the risk of their formation. These recommendations take into account the diet and other risk factors – gender, age, concomitant diseases, etc., for each individual separately. In all cases, fluid intake should be adequate to dietary salt intake.