Kidney stones are very common with a lifetime risk of developing a kidney stone of about 5%. Kidney stones are more common in adults than children but can occur at any age, with the average age being 30-50 years.
Men are more likely than women to develop kidney stones although the reason for this is not clear.
Kidney stones are a feared condition as they can be extremely painful. Many stones cause no symptoms at all for long periods and people may not realise they have a kidney stone until it causes them an episode of severe pain.
