Medical Reports: Kidney Concern

WSVN -- Sixteen-year-old Talia Amador was sitting in class when an excruciating pain struck.

Talia Amador: "I started throwing up, headache, dizziness, sweating. Then pain all over my right side. I was falling to the floor, barely walking."

Christine Amador: "I thought at first it was her appendix. She was holding her side."

But it wasn't her appendix. When Talia arrived at the hospital, doctors found a kidney stone.

Talia Amador: "They compared it to the size of a golf ball."

Dr. Felix Ramirez: "We have definitely seen a significant increase in the number of kids with kidneys stones, not only in Miami but all throughout the world."

More than 300 children were admitted to Miami Children's Hospital for kidney stones last year alone. Doctors believe kid's love for salty foods and sodas are to blame.

Dr. Felix Ramirez: "American children are eating more salt than ever, and American children are drinking less water than ever."

Talia Amador: "I ate a lot of junk food. I had fries, hot dogs, chips, what a normal teenager would eat on a daily basis."

Eating too much salt can result in excess calcium in the urine, which can lead to stones. To prevent this, a big change in diet is needed.

Dr. Felix Ramirez: "That is, less salt intake and more water intake."

It took two surgeries to get rid of Talia's kidney stone. She's now eating better, and you'll almost never see her without a glass of water in hand.

Talia Amador: "It was painful. I never want to experience that again in my life."

Richard Lemus: "Kidney stones can also be a sign of underlying metabolic problems, which can slow growth or lead to repeated bouts with kidney stones. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends metabolic testing for all children with kidney stones."

FOR MORE IN FORMATION:

Miami Children's Hospital
3100 SW 62 Ave.
Miami, FL 33155