Kidney stones can be quite painful and can cause extreme downfall to your health. Studies have proved out of ten people at least one person has experienced this problem at least once in life. This problem occurs when the minerals present in the urine crystallize. Though this is a painful situation, it is definitely not a life threatening problem.
But when you think of pain, it is always better to prevent it from occurring. The good news is that you can actually prevent kidney stone by making some changes in your lifestyle. Want to know how? Here are some ways in which you can prevent kidney stones.
6 Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones
1, Drinking Lots of Water
Urine contains a number of minerals. These minerals are neutralized when you drink water. However, if you drink less water, the concentration of these minerals in the urine increases. This can lead to solidifying of the minerals. Thus, it is important that you drink lots of water every day. This will ensure that the concentration of minerals in the urine is low and thereby reduces the chances of these turning into crystals. Doctors recommend that in order to prevent kidney stones one should drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water where the glass capacity is 12 ounces. You can actually keep a tab on the concentration of minerals in the urine by checking its color. If your urine is dark in color, it means that the concentration of minerals is high. However, if you are on medication, you could cite some changes in the color of urine.
2, Replace Artificial Drinks with Natural Ones
Soft drinks and aerated drinks are extremely popular these days. However, most of these drinks contain minerals that can cause kidney stones. So, steering clear of these drinks is the best way to prevent stone formation. Instead, opt for natural drinks like coconut water or lemon juice. Since coconut water is made up of 94% of water, it ensures that there is lesser concentration of minerals in the urine. It is also rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese that improve the health of the kidney. Similarly, lemon juice contains high quantity of citric acid which is believed to hinder the formation of kidney stone.
3, Watch your Diet
Some kidney stones are formed when the calcium and oxalate in different foods combine together. However, this does not mean that you should completely avoid these foods. Just make sure that you have these in moderate quantities. In case you love eating meat, fish and other protein rich food, it is important that you keep a tab on the quantity that you consume. These foods contain high levels of purines which can cause the uric acid levels to increase, thereby resulting in the kidney stone. Including dairy products in your diet will also help in preventing stone.
4, Less Salt is better
Did you know that if you eat too much salt, the sodium can actually cause more calcium to be secreted into the urine? This binds with oxalate and can cause kidney stone. If you reduce your salt intake, chances of excessive calcium secretion goes down.
5, Watch your Weight
Obesity can cause a lot of health problems and kidney stone is one of these. So, if you are overweight, it would be a good idea to shed those extra kilos. This is a sure shot method to prevent kidney stones. Do this by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
6, Avoid Procrastinating Loo Breaks
Have you ever stopped yourself from taking a loo break just because you are too engrossed in your work? Well, this is definitely not good for your kidney. When you hold your urine for a long time, the minerals and toxins in the urine accumulate and tend to crystallize. Also, this results in you drinking lesser water. So the next time you feel like attending the nature’s call, just go.
It is also important to reduce smoking and drinking as these can cause hormonal imbalance and indirectly affect the functioning of kidneys. Making few dietary changes will go a long way in preventing kidney stones.
