Astronauts May Be At Risk Of Kidney Stones: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck in the International Space Station for a long time

Astronauts May Be At Risk Of Kidney Stones: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck in the International Space Station for a long time. People are praying for their safe return. Going to space is exciting because there is no gravity there. However, people who stay in space for a long time may face many health related problems.

Astronauts are at risk of kidney stones

There is frequent research on health problems faced by astronauts. Many studies believe that astronauts may also suffer from kidney stones and renal calculi. Let us try to understand why this happens.?

Understanding kidney stones

First of all, know that kidney stones are called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. According to the 'Mayo Clinic', these stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts, which are formed inside the kidney. Many factors have been considered responsible for this such as unhealthy diet, excessive body weight and other medical conditions. Kidney stones can affect any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys and bladder.

Reasons for kidney stones in space

Dr. Haricharan G told 'Indian Express' that astronauts get kidney stones due to the unique conditions of microgravity in space. Due to this, the body fluid shifts from the lower to the upper body part. This shift of fluid increases calcium excretion through urine because bone density decreases. This process is called spaceflight osteopenia. Increased levels of calcium lead to the formation of calcium-based kidney stones. To avoid this, astronauts increase physical activities.