6 Steps to Treating and Preventing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are a common medical condition that can cause pain and discomfort. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent and treat kidney stones. You can reduce your risk of developing kidney stones by drinking plenty of fluids, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding certain foods.

1. Drink plenty of fluids

Drinking plenty of water is one of the easiest ways to prevent kidney stones. Water helps flush out the toxins that build up in your body, and this helps prevent kidney stones from forming.

The best way to prevent kidney stones is to stay hydrated. The average person loses about 2 quarts (2 liters) of water each day through breathing and urination. Drinking enough water helps dilute minerals in the urine so they don’t cause crystals to form in the kidneys or other organs. Limiting your salt intake also helps prevent kidney stones because high levels of salt in the body can increase calcium excretion through urine. Limiting your salt intake is especially important if you have diabetes because it can lead to excessive urination which leads to dehydration.

2. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet is another way to prevent kidney stones. You should avoid foods like caffeine and refined sugar, which can increase your risk for developing kidney stones. You should also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which have been shown to reduce your risk for developing kidney stones by up to 80%.

3. Avoid certain foods

Certain foods can also increase your risk for developing kidney stones, such as high-fiber foods like whole grains and beans, as well as fermented foods such as yogurt and soy sauce (but check with your doctor before making any changes in your diet).

4. Take medication as prescribed by your doctor

If you have already developed kidney stones, your doctor may recommend taking medicine to dissolve them before they form into larger ones or blockages in your urinary tract

5. Seek treatment from a urologist

If you have kidney stones, you need to see a urologist as soon as possible to find out what is causing them and get the appropriate treatment. This will be done by taking an x-ray of your kidneys, looking at them under a microscope, and doing other tests to determine the cause of your problem. The sooner you start treatment, the better chance there is for success.

6. Don’t smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol

Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of developing kidney stones because it increases blood pressure and uric acid levels in the body, which can make it harder for urine to fully pass through

Conclusion

By following these steps, you will hopefully be able to avoid further occurrences of kidney stones as well as the many possible complications such as infections, kidney failure, and death. Making small changes to your diet and lifestyle may not seem like a lot, but these steps could save your life. To be honest if you are suffering from kidney stones do NOT wait any longer to see a urologist; there is always the possibility that your stone could reappear and cause serious damage.