Question

How can you decreases your chances of having kidney stones?

Answer 1

Kidney stones are small and hard deposits of minerals and acid salts often made of calcium and uric acid which stick together in urine. They form inside the kidney and travel to other parts of the urinary tract. They are painful while passing through urinary tract but does not cause any permanent damage.

Kidney stones begin to from when there is not enough fluid or when there is too much solid waste content in the urine. Its nothing complicated to prevent kidney stone but one needs to have certain determination. One should prevent the conditions that support the kidney stone formation. There are certain steps that one can take to decrease the chances of having kidney stones. They are as follows-

1. Stay Hydrated:

Drinking extra water helps the urine to contain more fluid which decreases the chances of minerals and salts to form clusters and develop to stones. Dehydration can be known if a person passes darker urine instead of pale yellow. One should drink roughly 8 ounce of glasses of water per day. It may also include citrus drinks like orange juice or lemonade which helps block stone formation.

2. Get enough dietary Calcium:

Appropriate calcium in diet is important according to age. Too little calcium in diet leads to rise in oxalate levels and cause kidney stones. Dairy products are a good source of calcium and some other foods are also fortified with calcium like orange juice, canned fish with bones, cereals etc.

3. Reduce Sodium intake:

High sodium diet can cause water retention and leads to dehydration. This can trigger kidney stone formation. Hence low sodium diet is recommended. According to FDA adults should keep their salt intake below 2300 mg per day. This also helps to maintain blood pressure and a healthy heart.

4. Limit Animal protein:

Too much animal protein like red meat, poultry, eggs, sea foods etc can increase the level of uric acid which ay lead to kidney stone formation. Limiting the meat intake also helps in maintaining healthy life style.

5. Avoid Oxalate and Phosphate rich foods:

Spinach, beets, potatoes, soyabeans, choclates, tea, some nuts are rich in oxalate while colas are rich in phosphates, both leads to kidney stone formation. Consuming calcium along with oxalate may reduce the risk of kidney stone formation.

6. Avoid Excessive consumption of Caffeine:

Caffeine intake speeds up metabolism which leads to dehydration. This can make minerals and salts to cluster and form stones. So, excess caffeine intake should be avoided.

7. Avoid sugar drinks:

Artifical sweetened drinks and sodas can develop kidney stones, especially drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. Avoiding such drinks prevent in kidney stone formation.

Hence these prevention methods can only decrease the risk or chances of having kidney stones, in some cases taking medical help along with switching up dietary choices helps to prevent kidney stone formation.