The Right Diet For People With Kidney Stones

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Experts agree that having the right diet is one of the keys in treating and preventing kidney stones. This is because is there is controlled diet, people can choose not to consume foods that can lead to the faster formation and faster growth—in the cases of those who already have kidney stones.

As defined, kidney stones refer to the salts and other minerals formed in the vital organs such as kidneys, ureters, and bladder. Many people are prone to this because these stones tend to form naturally. However, not all kidney stones should be neglected because they can cause extremely uncomfortable pangs of pain and can even result to more complicated related diseases.

Experts say that along with early diagnosis, eating the right set of foods is very crucial in keeping one’s self away from kidney stones. For those who are already suffering from this condition, all the more that they need to pay attention to their diet because this directly affects the degree or severity of the kidney stones.

It is a given fact that people who have suffered from kidney stones will likely to have them 10 or 1 5 years from now. This is because many of them do not maintain medication, proper diet, and the physical activities needed to stay away from this condition.

Fighting kidney stones using diet

Doctors and other specialists in the field of medicine would agree that the easiest way to fight kidney stones is by having a diet that is balanced and appropriate for age. This is because having a balanced diet would not ensure that one is getting all the key nutrients he or she needs but also assures them that they will have lesser chances of developing diseases such as kidney stones.

For people who are suffering from kidney stones, experts advise them to take specific preventive measures in preventing kidney stones as early as now. This is because the earlier the possible causes are prevented the greater chances of having kidney stones risks. The following are some dietary suggestions to lesser the chances of having kidney stones.

1. Increase fluid intake. This is quite effective in fighting kidney stones because if you have enough amount of liquid in your body, it can wash away toxins and flush then out from the body. Increasing fluid intake, especially water, is the simplest yet most effective way of fighting kidney stones because it can help you keep hydrated while leaving your system clean. The ideal water intake should be 8 glasses but since people with kidney stones need more to flush out salts and other minerals in the body, 10 to 12 glasses is recommended daily.

2. Do some sodium restriction. Too much salt or sodium is one of the primary causes of kidney stones because it increases the calcium levels present in the person’s urine. Doctors advise people with calcium stones to cut down or totally eliminate sodium intake from the foods that they eat. This is because too much salt intake will only make the condition more complicated and may also cause other related diseases.

3. Increase the intake of fiber-rich foods. Indeed, fiber is considered beneficial to people with kidney stones because it contain several compounds—mostly are phytate—that guards the kidney against the formation of stones. Experts say that people who are suffering from kidney stones and those who would want to be spared from it should increase their calcium intake coming from the foods they eat such as wheat, rice bran and soybeans.

Treating Kidney Stones

Unless they feel discomforting pain and present of blood in their urine, people will not go to a doctor for a kidney stones checkup. This is because people tend to neglect the severity of the condition and its possible complications once not diagnosed and treated early.

Experts say that the problem why people who are suffering from kidney stones is that they always tend to be complacent in keeping up with a healthy diet and regular exercise. They—deliberately or not deliberately—without realizing that they will suffer and spend more money once the condition gets worse over time.

The most common types of kidney stones among people are the calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stone, which are caused by too much calcium and sodium intake. These types of stones are not really that harmful unless they increase in size fast and block the uteter—the tube that is connected to the bladder and will cause urination problems.

Treatments and medication available

Today, there are so many types of treatments and medications available for people with kidney stones. These forms of treatments vary depending on the severity of the condition. Experts say that people who have mild kidney stones can sort to medication, which are usually prescribed for certain types.

Medication is considered, as the initial form of treatment especially for symptomatic kidney stones which is common among patients. This is used by people who show early signs of kidney stones such as pain with varying degrees. The most common medication includes the Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs ot NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, nifedipine, and tamsulosin, which are effective in speeding up the passage of ureteral stones along the uterer. These come in different brands, come in pill form and can be brought over the counter.

For extreme pains, medication can be through the vein to ensure that it will take effect faster. This process of medication is also ideal for people who have low tolerance in taking oral pills. If NSAIDs cannot be administered directly, fluids can also be given to the patient suffering from the pain of kidney stones through the mouth to ensure that there will be enough supply of fluid for the urine.

Although medication can be administered at home, there will be times that the patient need to be brought to the hospitalized especially if the pain does not subside immediately. Once hospitalized, the patient will be asked to strain urine in order to cover the stone and collected for laboratory analysis. Here, the type of stone will be determined as well as its size and number through an imaging test. Here, if your kidney stones are smaller than 5 millimeters, you’re safe to take medication. But is the stone is about 10 millimeters, you will need to undergo a procedure such as:

- Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) which is the most common option of procedure because it can easily remove stones in the renal pelvis and upper ureter. This procedure requires x-ray or ultrasound to determine the exact location of the kidney stone and uses a high-energy shock wave to remove the stone by breaking it into pieces. However, this is not effective for hard, large, and complicated types of stones.

- Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL), on the other hand, is ideal for complex and extremely large kidney stones because it involves invasive surgical procedure in the process of removal which are small telescopic instruments passing through the person’s skin.

- Ureteroscopy is used for removing stones that are obstructed in the middle and lower portion of the person’s ureter. Here, a tiny telescopic instrument passes through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter and kidney to remove the kidney stones.

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