The monsoon season in Mumbai is far from over, and among several health issues that accompany rainy days, health experts have also observed a surge in kidney stone cases in the city and suburbs.

Traditionally considered a condition affecting middle-aged men, kidney stones are also being observed in young adults and women, with patients presenting symptoms like severe pain, recurrent infections, and other complications.

Explaining the condition, Dr Nasreen Gite, consultant urologist at Apollo Spectra Hospital in Mumbai, says, “Urinary stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys when substances like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid become concentrated in the urine. The number of kidney stone cases are rising in young adults and women because people often drink less water as they are outdoors majority of the time for work. Dehydration leads to concentrated urine, which allows minerals to clump together and form stones. This, with modern dietary habits like eating salt-laden processed food, is creating a perfect storm for kidney stone formation.”