Europe is facing a surge in kidney stone problems, urologists warned today.
About ten per cent of Europeans are now affected by stones, according to figures released at the start of European Urology Week.
The numbers have doubled in the last 20 years, according to the European Association of Urology.
Combinations of diet, obesity and greater awareness have all contributed to increased diagnosis, the Association says.
To help tackle the problem it released new patient information today.
Spokesman Professor Palle Osther, of Fredericia Hospital, Denmark, said: "It has always been one of these conditions which hasn’t been much talked about, but this condition is now common, and can be extremely painful. In the wrong circumstances, it can also be life threatening if not recognised and treated.
"Nearly one person in ten will suffer from a stone during their lifetime, which means that we are looking at up to 50 million adult sufferers in Europe, which would be equivalent to every adult in Italy, France or the UK having kidney stones.
"Some countries have higher incidence of kidney stones than others – in some cases, much higher. This means that awareness of the condition, how to deal with it, and even standards of treatment, vary enormously from county to country."
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