Living with kidney stones is not an easy job. If you have borne the pain of kidney stones, you do not want that even for your enemy. It takes weeks or months to pass out the kidney stones with urine. And chances are more to have them again in your life if preventive measures are not taken.
Why kidney stones are formed?
Kidney stones are formed because of the excessive amount of some compounds like calcium, oxalate, uric acid in the urine and they form crystals in the kidneys. These crystals combined to form small or large stones. About 80-85% of kidney stones are made of calcium. After the formation of kidney stones, they move towards the ureters and block the passage of urine. This leads to severe pain like flank pain (pain at one side of the body between the stomach and the back), urine in blood, pressure on the bladder, pain in the groin, nausea, and vomiting.
If you feel any above-mentioned symptoms, contact your health care provider as soon as possible. You can consult the best nephrologist in Lahore through Marham. And discuss your signs and symptoms for proper diagnosis.
Stones usually take time to pass, depending on their size and number of stones. To bear the pain, doctors advise taking pain killers like paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc. These medications help you to tolerate the pain until the stones move out of the body.
But if the pain is unbearable and stones are too large to pass, they can be removed surgically via a procedure known as Ureteroscopy.
Lithotripsy is another technique by which kidney stones are broken into small pieces with the help of waves. And then these small stones can pass through the urine passage.
Some remedies facilitate the removal of kidney stones without surgery. And these also prevent further development of stones in your kidneys. Here are some strategies to help you fight with kidney stones;
Stay Hydrated
About 2 liters of daily water intake is necessary to produce enough urine, that is healthy for your kidneys’ function. More water intake dilutes the compounds that are responsible for making kidney stones. That’s why it is recommended to increase your water intake if you have kidney stones or a history of kidney stones.
Balance Calcium intake
It is a common misunderstanding to decrease the intake of calcium to avoid kidney stones. But that’s not the right strategy. Dietary calcium binds with oxalates in the food and hence it is not free to pass through your kidneys. As a result, the chances of stones formation decrease, and small crystals can easily pass through the urine. Dairy products are rich in dietary calcium.
But taking calcium supplements is not recommended, as it increases the amount of calcium from normal levels and increases the risk of getting large calcium oxalate stones.
Add Lemon
Lemons have citric acid in them that helps prevent stone formation. Citric acid binds with calcium in urine to prevent the formation of stones. And it also binds with existing calcium oxalate crystal, hence, hinders the further formation of large stones. This helps to pass the kidney stones via urine.
The other sources of citric acid are citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lime, etc.
Subtract Salt
Table salt is the source of high amounts of sodium that we consume. It increases the level of calcium in the urine. By excreting more calcium in urine, the chances of producing stones are also higher. That’s why it is advisable to reduce the common salt intake when you are prone to kidney stone formation.
Control Animal protein intake
Animal proteins that are present in fish, meat, etc. are also related to the formation of kidney stones. They increase calcium excretion through urine. And on the other hand, uric acid is one of the products that are produced during protein metabolism. So, chances are also high to get uric acid stones in the kidney. So, by controlling the animal protein intake, you can avoid the formation of large kidney stones.
Limit foods with oxalates
Leafy vegetables and fruits have a high level of oxalates. These oxalates combine with calcium and other minerals to form kidney stones. So, you need to limit the foods having oxalates to avoid the large kidney stone formation.
These are some of the dietary changes that help in passing the kidney stone out of the body, as these remedies inhibit the large stone formation.
You should consult your nephrologists (doctors who treat the diseases of kidneys) for further information according to your case. You can consult the best nephrologists in Lahore through Marham. As Marham has the complete profiles of all the best medical specialists in Pakistan, you can get access to the most competent doctors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marham is also providing you an online platform to consult your doctors online while staying at homes. Just click the link and get in touch with the best nephrologists in Pakistan online.