Scientists have found that global warming can do more than make you sweat; it could force a rise in kidney stones. More Americans may develop kidney stones as rising temps raise the risk of dehydration, according to a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Warmer temperatures predicted by climate scientists may lead to a 30 percent increase in kidney stone cases in some U.S. regions, researchers at the University of Texas wrote in the study published today. That would result in a $1 billion increase in annual treatment costs by 2050, they said.

"We see a relationship between kidney stones and temperatures everywhere," says study co-author Margaret Pearle of the University of Texas Southern Medical school in Dallas. "Even in places with air-conditioning, warmer temperatures mean more stones."

Dehydration is linked to kidney stones, which can develop when people don’t drink enough water to flush stone-forming salts from the body. Higher temperatures may lead to more dehydration and expand the "kidney stone belt," an area of the Southeast United States where men are twice as likely to develop the disease compared with the Northeast, according to the study.

Kidney stones are most common in middle-aged people and are three times more common in men than in women. The stones can occur in any part of the urinary system, from the kidney to the bladder. They may be small or large. You may have just one stone. You may have many. Anyways, they can be a painful, so you may want to start to do your part to curb global warming. Maybe trade your car for an energy-efficient hybrid.