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Can You Prevent Kidney Stones

How Can Struvite Stones Be Prevented

Preventing Kidney Stones – Urology Care Foundation

To prevent future struvite stones, your doctor may prescribe certain medicines. Acetohydroxamic acid is used to stop the bacteria from making ammonia, which can cause struvite stones to grow. You might also be given antibiotics for a while after a stone is removed. This may help prevent future UTIs, which can lead to stones.

Drinking enough water each day is important in maintaining overall health and will help keep your urine less concentrated with waste products. Darker urine is more concentrated, so your urine should appear light yellow to clear if you are well hydrated. Drinking enough fluids to make at least two liters of urine per day may be recommended. Fluid restrictions might apply if you have advanced kidney disease, so speak with a healthcare professional about the right amount of water for thats best you.

Be Careful With Oxalate

If you have calcium oxalate kidney stones, you may want to cut back on foods rich in oxalate. Too much oxalate in your urine makes it more likely that the oxalate will bind with calcium in the urine, and that can lead to kidney stones.;

“But not everybody that has those stones has high oxalate in urine,” says Ingimarsson. For these people, cutting out oxalate rich foods won’t do any good, and can lead to poor nutrition.;

Rather than cut out oxalate-rich foods, it’s a good idea to eat them in the same meal as calcium. That way, the calcium and oxalate bind in your stomach and intestines, and not in your kidneys. When this happens, the calcium oxalate leaves your body in your stool, so it can’t form stones.;

Oxalate-rich foods include:

  • Dark sodas like Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper

No One Treats Without Testing Serum And Urine

Uric acid stones are common in diabetics and people with reduced renal function; potassium loads are potentially dangerous. Perhaps this is more obvious among uric acid stone formers than calcium stone formers, although given wide spread use of ACE and ARB drugs and NSAIDS, potential risk is everywhere.

The amounts of alkali needed can be variable, and the only reliable way to ascertain is 24 hour urine testing. Likewise for compliance.

Therefore routine practice monitors before and during potassium citrate treatment of uric acid stones.

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Talk To Your Doctor About Preventative Medications

If youre prone to certain types of kidney stones, certain medications can help control the amount of that material present in your urine. The type of medication prescribed will depend on the type of stones you usually get.

For example:

  • If you get calcium stones, a thiazide diuretic or phosphate may be beneficial.
  • If you get uric acid stones, allopurinol can help reduce uric acid in your blood or urine.
  • If you get struvite stones, long-term antibiotics may be used to help reduce the amount of bacteria present in your urine
  • If you get cystine stones, capoten may help reduce the level of cystine in your urine

Whats The Outlook For Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones Treatment Best

The outlook for kidney stones is very positive, although there is a risk of recurrence . Many kidney stones pass on their own over time without needing treatment. Medications and surgical treatments to remove larger kidney stones are generally very successful and involve little recovery time.

Its possible to get kidney stones multiple times throughout your life. If you keep developing kidney stones, your healthcare provider may work with you to discover why the stones happen. Once the cause is found, you may be able to make dietary changes to prevent future stones.

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Do We Need More Trials For Calcium Stone Formers

For me, no. It would seem a waste of money.

Some trials treated patients with reduced urine citrate, others did not. Some trials looked at new stones over 3 years, others at residual fragment growth one year after urological procedures. Will another 50 or even 100 cases be likely to change the outcomes? If so, in what way, and why?

It is true that one trial showed no effect and that trial was not blinded. It is actually a drag on the results as I did not remove it.

Monitoring The Intake Of High Acid Foods

Highly acidic urine can increase the risk of uric acid kidney stones and make passing them more painful.

High amounts of acid in the urine also encourage the kidneys to reabsorb citrate rather than excrete it. Citrate is a compound that can help flush out calcium-based stones, as well as impair their growth.

Highly acidic foods include:

According to the National Kidney Foundation, almost 1 in 10 people in the United States develop a kidney stone during their lifetime. The risk is around 19% for men and 9% for women.

Most men experience their first kidney stone after the age of 30 years.

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Treatment And When To See A Doctor

If a person suspects that a kidney stone is the cause of substantial pain or discomfort, it is important to see a doctor.

Although most people experience no long-term consequences from kidney stones, they can be extremely painful and require medical monitoring.

In most cases, treating kidney stones involves increasing fluid intake, taking pain medications, and using medications that make the urine less acidic.

People with smaller stones may be able to go home and wait for the stone or stones to pass. People with larger or more severe stones may need to stay in the hospital.

Stones that are too large to pass or that become stuck in the urinary tract may require surgery. Surgery to remove the stones may also be necessary if an infection has developed around it.

How Are Children Treated For Kidney Stones

How Can You Prevent Kidney Stones | 6 Natural Home Remedies

Most childrens kidney stones can be treated with the shock wave lithotripsy , a completely non-invasive procedure. Your child is placed under anesthesia and sound waves of specific frequencies are focused on the stones to shatter them into fragments small enough to be easily passed during urination.

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It’s Not One And Done

Passing a kidney stone is often described as one of the most painful experiences a person can have, but unfortunately, it’s not always a one-time event. Studies have shown that having even one stone greatly increases your chances of having another. “Most people will want to do anything they can to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Dr. Jhagroo. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be the case that people make the changes they need to after their first stone event.”

Research conducted by Dr. Jhagroo shows that those with kidney stones do not always heed the advice of their nephrologists and urinary specialists. About 15% of kidney stone patients didn’t take prescribed medications and 41% did not follow the nutritional advice that would keep stones from recurring. Without the right medications and diet adjustments, stones can come back, and recurring kidney stones also could be an indicator of other problems, including kidney disease.

Should I Cut Out All Foods That Have Oxalate Or Calcium

No, this is a common mistake. Some people think that cutting out all foods that have oxalate or all foods with calcium will keep stones from forming. However, this approach is not healthy. It can lead to poor nutrition and can cause other health problems. A better plan? Eat and drink calcium and oxalate-rich foods together during a meal. Doing this helps oxalate and calcium bind to one another in the stomach and intestines before reaching the kidneys, making it less likely for kidney stones to form in the urine.

Plan Your Plate For Kidney Stones

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How Is A Struvite Stone Diagnosed

Diagnosis of a kidney stone starts with a medical history, physical examination, imaging tests, urine and blood testing, and stone analysis. Blood and urine can be tested for abnormal levels of certain chemicals. You may be asked to collect your urine for 24 hours to test for uric acid or other chemicals. The urine may be examined for magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals in the urine sediment.

Imaging tests can be used to locate stones in the body. Ultrasound uses a device to bounce safe, painless sound waves off organs and create an image of their structure. Many healthcare professionals feel that this is the best screening test to find stones. Computerized tomography scans uses a beam of X-rays and computers to create images and look for stones inside the kidneys.

A stone that comes out of the body and saved can be analyzed in order to find the type of stone and its cause. Knowing the type of stone can also help with a plan for prevention.

Drinking Plenty Of Water Is Important For Avoiding Kidney Stones

5 Everyday Foods That Can Help Prevent Kidney Stones

The most important step you can take to prevent kidney stones is to drink more water, says Sean Hashmi, MD, a nephrologist at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. Drinking enough water not only means youre urinating more frequently, but it also means that your urine is less concentrated with stone-causing minerals, he says. The more you urinate, the lower the chance that these waste products will settle and bond together to form kidney stones.

The amount of fluid needed to help prevent kidney stones varies for each person, says;Naim Maalouf, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. For example, some people sweat more than others and need to drink more, he says. Ideally, doctors want to see patients produce more than two and a half liters of urine per day.

A helpful indicator that youre drinking enough water is the color of your urine. If its dark yellow, youre probably not drinking enough. We would like the color of the urine to be as clear as possible, says Dr. Maalouf.

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What Are The Most Common Types Of Kidney Stones

The most common type of kidney stone is a calcium oxalate stone. This type happens when calcium and oxalate combine in your urine. It can happen when you have high quantities of oxalate, low amounts of calcium and arent drinking enough fluids.

Stones caused by uric acid are also fairly common. These come from a natural substance called purine, which is a byproduct of animal proteins .

Foods To Prevent Kidney Stones

Certain foods can increase your risk of developing kidney stones.; Eating in moderation while;maintaining a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables is encouraged. It is important to be mindful of the following foods that can lead to the formation of kidney stones in certain people: foods high in sodium, cola beverages, fast foods, processed meats, certain supplements, black tea, chocolate, spinach, soy milk, almonds, cashews, soy beans.

The good news is there are many items you can include in your regular diet to help prevent stones from occurring.

  • Water. Although a beverage and not necessarily a food, drinking water is;the most important way to prevent kidney stones. We recommend two to three liters of water each day.
  • Lemon. Lemon contains citric acid that stops kidney stones from forming and helps break up stones that have already formed.; For a refreshing beverage, add some fresh squeezed lemon into your water!
  • Cruciferous vegetables. Vegetables rich in potassium such as brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale decrease calcium loss and stop kidney stones from forming.;These foods also have antioxidant effects that help prevent bladder, prostate and kidney cancers.
  • Whole grains.;Most whole grains contribute to a healthy weight which is helpful in prevention and treatment of kidney stones.
  • Calcium.;The calcium in milk and yogurt can decrease the risk of forming kidney stones.
  • Learn more here, or call us call at 401-793-5400.

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    How Do Health Care Professionals Treat Kidney Stones

    Health care professionals usually treat kidney stones based on their size, location, and what type they are.

    Small kidney stones may pass through your urinary tract without treatment. If youre able to pass a kidney stone, a health care professional may ask you to catch the kidney stone in a special container. A health care professional will send the kidney stone to a lab to find out what type it is. A health care professional may advise you to drink plenty of liquids if you are able to help move a kidney stone along. The health care professional also may prescribe pain medicine.

    Larger kidney stones or kidney stones that block your urinary tract or cause great pain may need urgent treatment. If you are vomiting and dehydrated, you may need to go to the hospital and get fluids through an IV.

    Do Serum And Urine Testing Matter

    4 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Kidney Stones Naturally

    How can they not?

    SERUM

    Do we want to give potassium loads to people with reduced renal function?

    Having prescribed potassium, do we not want to monitor for serious increase in serum potassium; some patients are older, some diabetic, some take ACE or ARB medications, some age or change drugs over the years we treat them.

    Do we not want to diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism? You cannot without serum testing and 24 hour urine testing to be sure calcium excretion is not low.

    24 HOUR URINE TESTING

    If we do not obtain and measure 24 hour urine samples, how can we know anything? Some patients may have very high urine citrate levels. Some may have very high urine pH values.

    Here and there urine oxalate is very high, from primary hyperoxaluria, or occult malabsorption syndromes, or very odd food habits.

    People change their habits and develop diseases.

    Moreover, people do not always take their citrate. Fall in urine ammonia in relation to urine sulfate, and rise in urine potassium assure one they are taking the drug.

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    What Are The Symptoms Of Struvite Stones

    A stone that is small enough can pass through with no symptoms. However, a stone that is too large to pass through may cause significant pain, back-up of urine, and other health problems. Speak with a healthcare professional if you feel any of these symptoms:

    • Severe pain on either side of your lower back
    • Nausea or vomiting

    Best And Worst Drinks For Preventing Kidney Stones

    Pietro Manuel Ferraro, MD, physician, department of internal medicine and medical specialties, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. His study was published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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    Mention kidney stones and everyone within earshot wincesbecause weve all heard how painful these stones can be. So if you want to be stone-free, youre probably following the common advice to drink lots of liquids. But instead of focusing on how much you drink, the crucial question is what you drink, a new study reveals. Certain beveragesincluding some very surprising ones, such as beer!are particularly helpful in protecting against stones, while other drinks do more harm than good.

    Unfortunately, kidney stones are common, plaguing 19% of men and 9% of women in the US at least once in their lifetimesand recurrences are quite common. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent stones from formingbut actually, there are other fluids that can be even more effective.

    DRINK THIS, NOT THAT

    Using data from three large studies, researchers followed 194,095 people, none of whom had a history of kidney stones, for more than eight years. Participants periodically completed questionnaires about their diet and overall health. During the course of the study, there were 4,462 cases of kidney stones.

    Kidney stone risk boosters

    Kidney stone risk reducers

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    Can I Eat Meat

    It is absolutely okay to have meat, but it is important to eat it in healthy portion sizes . For some people, it is helpful to limit meat to only one meal per day and choose other proteins such as eggs, milk, yogurt, low sodium cheeses or whole grains at other meals. As Mr. McStoney shows us, eating protein in a healthy, balanced diet will help us keep protein portions small, and we can still feel full by filling up with all of the other, healthy food groups.

    Staying Hydrated Helps Prevent Kidney Stones

    12 Key Steps to Prevent Kidney Stones

    The number one natural way to prevent kidney stones is to drink more water. If you are not hydrated, you will not produce enough urine. This can increase the chances of kidney stones because low urine output means the urine is concentrated and less likely to dissolve urine salts that cause kidney stone.

    I recommend that you drink around eight glasses of water each day. If you sweat a lot, exercise or have a history of stones, you may benefit from additional fluids.

    A good way to tell if you are drinking enough water is to look at the color of your urine

    Orange juice and lemonade are also good options to drink because they contain citrate, which prevents stones from forming.

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    How Do I Know If I Have A Kidney Stone

    Many kidney stones have a classic painful presentation that will increase a physicians suspicion that you have a stone. However, stones can only be truly diagnosed with X-Rays or ultrasounds, or if you physically see your stone pass in your urine. If you pass your stone, try and capture it so your doctor can have it analyzed.

    Managing Underlying Medical Problems Discourages Kidney Stones Too

    Some medical conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, can raise your risk for kidney stones.

    Endocrinologic diseases such as hyperparathyroidism, or an overactive thyroid , can increase the levels of calcium in the urine, contributing to kidney stones. In addition, gout, an arthritic condition, can raise uric acid levels in the body, which in turn can cause uric acid stones. ;Adequately treating such diseases and managing these chronic problems can help prevent kidney stones from developing.

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