How to Avoid Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a painful, disturbing, and the most common disorder that relates to the urinary tracts of the body. It is a condition that has existed in the human body from centuries. The evidence of their existence has also been found in a 7,000 year old mummy.

Every year around 3 million people visit health care centers, out of which nearly half a million are diagnosed with this disorder. In some cases the stones pass out without any treatment or major operation by a surgeon.

Kidney stones that cause severe damage to the body and have chronic symptoms may be diagnosed and treated using numerous techniques, most of which don't include a major surgery.

One needs to follow certain steps that lead to the prevention of this disorder. Some of them are mentioned below:

The more water one drinks, less are the chances of them getting affected by this condition. For the efficiency of the waste removal process, the body requires sufficient water. If it doesn't get the required amount of water, waste products start to accumulate in the kidneys, and these later transform into kidney stones.

A person should consume water that would at least produce 2 liters of urine per day. Doctors advise to consume at least eight standard 8-ounce cups of water every day, or include four 8-ounce cups of water in whichever drink, one normally consumes during the day.

The affected person can increase the intake of citrus in his/her diet, which might prove beneficial. It would help to cure the same as citrus enables the body to dissolve the stones. A simple way to consume citrus or vitamin C is to drink lime water. One can also drink different fruit juices which are rich in vitamin C, however, care needs to be taken to ensure the amount of calcium in them.

It can be prevented by a high intake of fiber and low intake of protein in one's daily diet. If one's normal diet is too rich in proteins, it may lead to uric acid stones, which is a type of kidney stone disorder.

Two servings of meat a day is also harmful for the body, wherein a single serve is less than 6-8 ounces. An excessive amount of acid in the urine is the primary cause of uric acid stones. They may also be formed if you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Kidney stones are normally made up of calcium, hence excessive intake of calcium may admittedly lead to their formation. One should not consume dairy products in excess, as they contain high levels of calcium that may lead to other complications as well.

If one overly consumes foods that are rich in sodium, he/she has more chances of being prone to this condition. Sodium consumption should be restricted to 1,500 mg per day. Excess salt should not be added to meals, and also consumption of foodstuffs that have high levels of sodium should be avoided. There are foods that don't really taste salty but do contain sufficient amounts of sodium.

A person who is bedridden or has an inactive lifestyle is more likely to be prone to this disorder. Thus, physical activities like regular exercise and outdoor sports are the best way to prevent the formation of stones.

Regular medical checkups are strongly recommended to ensure that one's body is not home to such disorders. Moreover, they can be prevented or cured in numerous ways such as a change in lifestyle, diet, medical therapies, and sometimes surgery.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.