If you’ve already had experience with kidney stones, you’ve likely come to the same conclusion as everyone else who’s been through them — you don’t want them ever again.
Unfortunately, kidney stones, which affect about 1 in 10 people, do tend to recur, so if you’ve had them before, it's time to get proactive about preventing them.
For this, we turn to Dr. Robert J. Cornell, who’s a board-certified urologist with plenty of experience in the kidney stone arena. Here’s what Dr. Cornell tells his patients about preventing kidney stones.
One of the best prevention techniques for kidney stones is easy: Drink plenty of water. Water dilutes your urine, preventing stone-making substances from building up and coming together.
This is important if you sweat a lot because that causes water to leave your body, which concentrates your urine. So, be especially mindful of staying hydrated when you exercise.
The most common kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate. This has led many people to simply cut calcium from their diets, thinking that will prevent stones from forming.
Well, the opposite is true. A low-calcium diet can increase your chances of kidney stones considerably. So, keep eating dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, to keep your calcium levels high and your bones strong.
From high blood pressure to an increased risk of kidney stones, too much sodium in your diet isn’t a good thing.
While removing the salt shaker from the table helps, avoiding sodium-rich foods —which include most processed foods — is even more important. So, read your labels and cut excess sodium from your diet.
A plant-based diet is a good idea for kidney stone prevention. While we’re not suggesting that you give up meat, poultry, and fish entirely, pay attention to how much you eat, as too much protein can lead to kidney stones.
Instead, we’d rather you focus on plant-based foods because they contain calcium oxalate kidney stone inhibitors, such as potassium, magnesium, phytic acid, and fiber.
Kidney stones are associated with certain medical conditions, including:
Gastric bypass surgery also increases your risk.
If any of these apply, do your best to manage your conditions so complications like kidney stones don’t arise.
If you have questions about any of the prevention tactics we outlined above, or you’d like a more personalized and detailed kidney stone prevention plan, don’t hesitate to contact our office in Houston to schedule an appointment.
