If you ever had to suffer from urology disorder of kidney stones, I am sure you would remember it as extremely painful. The pain of these stones can be unbearable. Unfortunately, for many this issue is not once in a lifetime experience, rather it can appear after 7 years if preventive has not opted.
Kidney stones don’t necessarily have to be big, rather they can be as small as a sand grain and you might not even be able to notice it. However, they can be extremely painful if their size is bigger.
When the number of substances and minerals such as uric acid, oxalate, and calcium increases in your pee, these stones are formed. According to the doctors at Basharat Hospital, there are different reasons for developing kidney stones. Certain medications and even what you eat can be the cause of kidney stones. Your chances of developing kidney stones increases if anyone from your family is already suffering from stones.
Types of Kidney Stones
The types of kidney stones depend upon the substances or minerals from which they are formed and are as follows:
- Calcium stones
- Calcium oxalate
- Calcium phosphate
- Uric acid stones
- Struvite stones
- Cystine stones
Knowing the type of stones is necessary in order to prevent kidney stone formation.
Risk Factors of Kidney Stones
There are multiple causes of kidney stones. Following are some of the risk factors that increase your chances of developing a kidney stone:
- Lack of Water
- Diet- Your diet plays a major role in developing kidney stones. Common stones are of calcium and oxalate ones. Your doctor would also recommend you avoid oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, bran cereals, grits, and rhubarb. Sodium and animal protein are also a cause of stones, says a urologist doctor in Rawalpindi.
- Gut problems (Diarrhea, Inflammatory bowel diseases)
- Obesity
- Other medical health issues such as gout, type 2 diabetes, renal tubular acidosis, hyperparathyroidism and certain genetic diseases.
- Medications
Avoid Kidney Stones by these 5 Simple Ways
Preventing kidney stones is not difficult, rather it is easy but it definitely needs time, patience and determination.
Here are 5 simple ways to prevent kidney stones
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Drink Enough Water
Enough hydration is extremely important for your body. When you are drinking enough water, the substance that causes the formation of kidney stones is diluted. Therefore, it is necessary that your intake of water is sufficient so that in a day, you pass about 2 liters of urine. These 2 liters would be roughly equal to 8-ounce cups of urine.
You can add citrus beverages or juices such as orange and lemonade. The kidney stone formation is blocked by the citrus present in them.
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Add Calcium-Rich Foods to Your Diet
Adding calcium to your diet is not only helpful for your bones but is equally helpful in avoiding kidney stones. The calcium present in your diet will bind with the oxalate that is in your intestines. This binding will decrease the level of the oxalate present in blood and later get excreted via urine from the kidney. So, when in urine the concentration of the oxalate is decreased, it automatically decreases the chances of it binding with the urinary calcium. Hence, the risk of stones decreases.
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Reduced Intake of Sodium
If you are eating food rich in sodium sources, it’ll increase the level of calcium in the urine. Therefore, urologists would advise you to eat a low-sodium diet. Your sodium daily intake should be about 2,300 mg. If sodium is increasing your risk of developing stones then your doctor would ask you to further reduce the intake of sodium. Reducing sodium from your diet will be good for your heart and blood pressure.
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Reduce Animal Protein Intake
If you are a lover of food rich in animal protein such as poultry, red meat, seafood, or eggs, then you are enhancing the levels of uric acids that would ultimately increase the risk of stones. If you are someone who is at risk of developing stones then you need to limit your meat intake.
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Say No to “Stone-Forming Foods”
There are certain foods that trigger the formation of kidney stones. Tea, rhubarb, chocolate, spinach, beets, and most importantly nuts are the rich source of oxalate. So, again you need to either avoid or reduce the intake of such foods.
TakeAway Note,
For some people, there are certain foods that increase the risk and production of kidney stones. Even some studies have shown that people who have a high intake of vitamin C are again at higher risk. This is due to the reason that the body in this case converts vitamin C into oxalate.
