In high temperatures and low humidity the body loses fluid through skin and breathing constantly and imperceptibly, and air conditioning dries it further indoors. Urine volume falls, salt concentration rises, and dissolved substances begin to crystallise. Add a typical working day in which someone drinks two coffees and forgets about water, and you have the mechanism of stone formation in its purest form.
Small stones may cause no symptoms for years and be found incidentally on ultrasound. Renal colic begins abruptly: severe pain in the flank or side, often radiating to the groin, with restlessness — the person cannot find a position that helps — nausea, and blood in the urine. Unlike musculoskeletal pain, colic is not relieved by resting still.
Otherwise assessment can be planned, but should not be postponed for long: a stone blocking drainage damages the kidney silently.
Urology guidelines frame the target not as litres consumed but as urine produced: at least 2.5 litres a day. In the UAE climate that means noticeably more fluid than in a temperate one — roughly from 3 litres, and more with outdoor work or active sport. A practical marker requiring no measurement: urine should stay pale through the day.
What else has proven value: limiting salt, moderating animal protein, and maintaining adequate dietary calcium — contrary to a persistent myth, restricting dietary calcium raises the risk of oxalate stones rather than lowering it. Citrus and citrate drinks help. With recurrent stones, stone composition and a 24-hour urine analysis determine individual tactics — there is no universal anti-stone diet.
Examination, urinalysis, and ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder. Ultrasound sees stones in the kidney well and shows dilatation of the collecting system indicating obstruction. The decision follows: observation with fluid intake, medical therapy to assist passage, or referral for surgical treatment.
At the clinic a urologist consultation is AED 600; ultrasound of the urinary tract (kidneys and bladder) AED 1,100, bladder alone AED 800, and urinalysis AED 50. All in a single visit, with the report issued in English.
This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.
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