Anatomy of kidney and kidney stones illustration
Prevent Kidney Stones, Live Pain-free life
A kidney stone is such a common health issue in India that almost every person knows someone who has suffered from it. Our kidneys perform the function of removing waste and fluid from the blood to make urine. However, if a person’s fluid intake is not up to the mark, or he eats certain diets, is on certain medication, has a family history of kidney stones or is obese- he might be prone to developing kidney stones.
Good news is, a stone sufferer can overcome it within few weeks or through surgery if the stone is bigger. However, as they say, precaution is better than cure. There are ways with which the possibility of developing kidney stones can be greatly altered.
If a person has a tiny kidney stone that may not show any symptom and get out on its own without the sufferer even knowing it. However, larger stones may cause the following symptoms:
Prevention of kidney stones is possible through some lifestyle changes.
Drinking lots of water is a proven way to prevent kidney stones. As mentioned above, waste won’t dissolve if a person’s water intake is low. One should drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Having orange juice and lemonade may also prevent kidney stone formation as they contain citrate which is effective in countering kidney stones.
Many people limit the intake of calcium-rich food if they have kidney stones thinking that calcium causes kidney stones formation. However, it is not true as calcium oxalate causes the build-up, not calcium. Hence, have calcium from foods such as low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, low-fat yoghurt as they are amazing sources of calcium.
Too much consumption of salt may increase the amount of calcium in the urine. The higher amount of salt in the urine prevents calcium from being reabsorbed from urine to the blood and it can lead to kidney stones. Thus, limit salt intake to maintain the calcium at a healthy level.
Avoid processed foods such as chips and crackers, canned vegetables, soups and baking soda to prevent kidney stones.
Oxalate is a natural compound found in foods that combines with calcium in the urine to form kidney stones. One should limit the oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, chocolate, coffee, sweet potatoes, peanuts, soy products and wheat bran to ward-off the risk of kidney stones.
Animal protein is high in acids and may increase uric acid. If there is higher acid in the urine, then a person is more prone to develop uric acid and calcium oxalate kidney stones. Limit the consumption of meat, poultry, fish and other forms of meat.
Having vitamin B-6, vitamin D and fish oils can also lower the risk of kidney stones. Furthermore, it is also recommended to avoid sugary drinks to safeguard kidneys from stones.