How to Prevent Kidney Stone
Rather than having to undergo treatment, it is best to avoid kidney stones in the first place. Kidney stones typically occur in formerly healthy men aged between 30 and 50. For women, the prevalence of kidney stones peaks in their 50s. Kidney stones vary in size, with most of them being small enough to pass through the urinary tract for elimination in the urine. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. Kidney stones often cause no pain while they are in the kidneys, but they can cause sudden, severe pain as they travel from the kidneys to the bladder.
You may not want to hear this yet again, but one of the best ways to prevent or relieve kidney stones is to drink more water. A lot more water. By increasing the amount of water you drink, your body is better able to flush the kidney stones out of your body, or prevent them from forming entirely in the first place.
When you don't drink enough water, germs and bacteria are able to linger inside your kidneys and create infections or stones. By drinking extra water though, your body is able to continuously flush those germs and bacteria from your system before they have time to start creating a kidney stone or infection.
Caucasians are more prone to develop kidney stones than African Americans. In addition, more than 70 percent of people with a rare hereditary disease called renal tubular acidosis develop kidney stones.
Kidney stones are accumulations of waste materials from your body. Usually the stones are created by calcium deposit build up, but sometimes they can be created by too much protein or because you've had chronic urinary infections. These deposits can be kept from forming though, by keeping them diluted with extra water.
You don't have to drink plain water all day, but that is the best natural way to help prevent or treat kidney stone problems. Drink at least a half gallon of plain water each day if at all possible. You can add real lemon juice to the water if you'd like, and this will give you flavor plus it will provide your body with a way to help keep kidney stones from forming, because lemon juice dissolves kidney stones. Lemon juice is also a natural antiseptic, which means it can help prevent bacteria from multiplying into an infection within your kidneys.
Anyone can get a kidney stone, but it may be more likely if you: Are male Are Caucasian Are very overweight Have had kidney infections Have a family member with kidney stones Have had kidney stones before Eat a lot of animal protein (such as meat and eggs) Do not drink enough fluids Some other conditions and medicines can also put you at greater risk for kidney stones. A kidney stone can be as small as a grain of sand to as big as 1in. A kidney stone may cause other symptoms, such as blood in the urine (hematuria), pain when urinating, or a severe need to urinate. A kidney stone can even rupture the collection system of the kidney. People who have had a kidney stone have a chance of having another one, so prevention measures are important.
You can also drink other types of teas and juices if you'd like, because these are sources of liquid and liquid is the primary thing your body needs to keep your kidneys healthy. Try to avoid drinks with excessive amounts of sugar though, because they create a large variety of additional health problems which will eventually lead to creating kidney problems too.
If you also drink caffeinated tea or coffee each day, you'll need to drink extra water. Caffeine dehydrates your body, and if you're dehydrated you'll be more prone to developing kidney stones.
Since about 80% of kidney stones are made up of calcium oxalate, some people avoid foods high in oxalate as a natural way to avoid chronic kidney stones and infections. Foods high in oxalate include different types of berries such as blueberries and strawberries, instant coffee, chocolate, and dark leafy green vegetables.
It was once believed that avoiding calcium rich foods was also a good idea to help reduce chronic kidney stone problems, but that belief is starting to change. Some research now suggests that calcium rich foods can actually help prevent the development of kidney stones, but excessive amounts of Vitamin D or Calcium taken through supplements might cause problems because standard supplements are not absorbed well by your body.
Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.
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