Retired pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm says kidney stones are a painful condition that affects one in 10 women at some point in their lives. Keep reading for more information.

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, emergency room across the country treat more than 500,000 people for kidney stones each year. Although men are twice as likely to get kidney stones, women are still affected at an alarming rate. Throughout the last 20 years, issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes have increased kidney stone diagnosis by more than 200 percent.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that a kidney stone is pretty much what you’d imagine from the name: a stone-like obstruction found in the kidneys. They are formed as urine chemicals crystallize, often due to a nutritional defect or overproduction of uric acid. Unlike actual stones, however, kidney stones can grow and often feature stalactite-like protrusions.

One of the primary symptoms of kidney stones is painful urination. This happens when a kidney stone, which can be as small as a grain of sand, get stuck as it travels from the kidneys to the bladder. Marla Ahlgrimm explains there are four types of kidney stone: calcium oxalate, uric acid, struvite, and cystine. Each are caused by different triggers but leave within their wake the same symptoms.

Kidney stones can start as a burning sensation when urinating. Marla Ahlgrimm says that over time the pain becomes more intense and can manifest as a stabbing feeling in the gut, groin, or lower back. Many women report pain so excruciating that it causes vomiting and fainting. If a kidney stone causes a bladder infection, a woman may also experience fever, chills, fatigue, and body aches. Kidney stones may be diagnosed by a CT scan or x-ray. Small stones are often allowed to pass without medical intervention although laser or endoscopic surgery may be necessary, says Marla Ahlgrimm.