02 Oct 2007 01:49 PM

Preventing Kidney Stones

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

Kidney stones can be painful -- but there are some things you can do to prevent them. Small diet changes can make a big difference in your body's development of kidney stones.

  1. Drink more water! Six to eight glasses of water every day can help dilute urine. When urine becomes too concentrated, minerals like calcium, phosphate, and oxalate can crystallize, forming stones. The pain comes when the stones pass from the kidneys. Diluting the urine can help prevent the crystallization in the first place. Good old water is best, but you can also drink fruit juices or drinks from mix. Avoid caffeinated drinks if you can -- caffeine is a diuretic. And coffee and tea can be high in oxalate (see number 4 for more info on this mineral).
  2. Limit protein intake. Animal protein can raise your risk of kidney stones. Try to eat less than eight ounces of lean meat every day.
  3. Limit salt intake.
  4. Avoid foods that are heavy in oxalates. Kidney stones usually form from calcium and either phosphate or oxalate. If oxalate is your problem, you should limit your intake of foods like spinach, berries, beets, nuts, chocolate, coffee, at tea -- all foods that are high in oxalate.
  5. Don't give up on calcium. It used to be that doctors advised patients with kidney stones to avoid calcium. However, now it seems that calcium can actually help prevent kidney stones by bonding with oxalate in the intestines -- long before it reaches the kidneys. Make sure you're eating cheese and drinking milk or taking a calcium supplement if you need the boost.

If these diet changes don't help, it may be time to talk to your doctor about your kidney stones. Most kidney stones are small enough to pass through your system, painful though it may be. Some kidney stones need a doctor's attention.

Sponsors (article continues below)

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

NewroticGirl`s avatar

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Send this to a friend

1 comments so far

PaydayLoanAdvocate (11) 04 Nov 2008 02:28 AM

These days that one of the most prominent problem of the people is about the health issues. It is very important for all of us to have a healthy body. This is one of the major things that we have to take good care of. If we are unhealthy especially for the kids that are going to the school they might get sick. It seems like everywhere you turn, there's a story about how unhealthy Americans have become. Diabetes is skyrocketing in the United States. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise among adults and children alike. A recent story in the New York Times reported that kidney stones are becoming more and more common in children as young as 5 or 6. A child with kidney stones used to be a rare occurrence, but now, some hospitals have opened pediatric kidney stone clinics in order to accommodate all of the kids that come in with kidney stones. The main preventative measure parents can take to help their children avoid developing a kidney stone is to encourage them to stay hydrated and discourage the over consumption of salt. However, it's hard for parents to be with their kids all the time to ensure they're putting the right things in their bodies-like at school-and sometimes kids just don't listen. Not only is a kidney stone harmful to your kid, it can be a major blow to your budget. And let's face it; keeping up with the financial demands of today is a daunting task. As a result of this, people are seeking for a financial assistance, when they are trap with a sudden financial trouble. Like for example if your child develops a kidney stone, or is hit with some other health issue, you can always get payday installment loans to help cover the medical costs until you get paid next. This is one of a great help for you. Post Courtesy of Personal Money Store Professional Blogging Team Feed Back: 1-866-641-3406 Home: http://personalmoneystore.com/NoFaxPaydayLoans.html Blog: http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/

Discuss this article

You must be logged in to tag, rate, or comment on this item.

Not registered? Register now, it's free and only takes a minute.

Add a Comment