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Kidney stones, however, differ not only in size but also in composition. Dr Raghvendra Kashyap, Consultant Urologist at Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad, told HT Lifestyle that kidney stones can be very painful for patients. From his observation, an increasing number of people are being hospitalised for the same, and one of the biggest reasons is lifestyle. Clinically describing the kidney stones, Dr Kashyap added, "Kidney stones are small, hard deposits that form in the kidney. They are made of minerals and acid salts. While they often start small and pass unnoticed, they can grow to be the size of a golf ball. These stones can cause intense pain when they travel from the kidney through the urinary tract." Types of kidney stones Based on nutritional missteps or underlying health conditions, kidney stones can develop in different forms. So, it's not just about variation in size; understanding the composition is also vital to understand. Dr Kashyap listed out these 4 types:

1. Calcium stones: The most common type, usually made of calcium oxalate. They form when there is too much calcium or oxalate in your urine.
2. Uric acid stones: These can form when you have too much uric acid in your urine, often caused by a diet high in red meat and shellfish, or from certain medical conditions like gout.
3. Struvite stones: These are less common and often form as a result of a urinary tract infection.
4. Cystine stones: The rarest type, these stones form owing to a hereditary disorder called cystinuria, which causes the amino acid cystine to leak into the urine.

Risk factors and prevention Now that you know the types of kidney stones, let's look at the risk factors and prevention. After all, it's always better to nip the risks in the bud than go through the painful experience of dealing with them later. Dr Kashyap highlighted dehydration to be one of the major risk factors for kidney stones. Explaining why this happens, he said, "When you don't drink enough water, the urine becomes concentrated, and minerals can crystallise and clump." Apart from dehydration, he revealed that a diet high in sodium, animal protein, or sugar, as well as obesity and certain medical conditions to be other risk factors. For prevention, the urologist emphasised proper hydration, drinking a lot of fluids, most importantly water, around 8 to 12 glasses a day. Along with this, low-sodium diet and animal protein are equally vital. Myth: Beer can flush out kidney stones? There's a common belief that beer consumption helps with flushing out kidney stones. But Dr Kashyap dismissed it as a myth, as beer can cause dehydration, and since it is one of teh significant risk factors, one needs to be careful. He said, "A common myth is that an overdose of beer can flush out the stones. The truth is, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration and other health problems." Although very moderate beer consumption is somewhat related to a lower risk of kidney stones, excessive consumption may have the opposite effect. Test and treatment Next, for tests, the go-to is often an ultrasound, but Dr Kashyap cautioned that it may not be the best option as it can't always detect the presence of kidney stones, measure their size, or show if they are lodged in the ureter. Instead, he recommended a CT scan as it provides a much clearer picture of what's happening. After it is detected, the treatment usually depends on the size of the kidney stone. Elaborating more about it, Dr Kashyap shared, "Some stones come out on their own, while some don't. This depends on the varying sizes of kidney stones. If small enough, it might pass through, or else, it will not. Normally, 4-5 mm stones will pass through the urethra on their own, maybe with some pain. However, if the stones are bigger than 5 mm, the chances of their passing through will also decrease. For instance, a 6mm stone will have about a forty per cent chance of passing through on its own, a 7mm stone will have a thirty per cent chance, and if it's a 1cm or 10mm stone, the chances of it passing on its own are very low." Kidney stones are common and preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, like drinking enough water or losing weight through exercise. Even if they do form, knowing which tests to take and the right treatment approach can help speed up recovery.