Tag: Salts

How to Effectively Prevent Kidney Stones

Kidney stones or “urolithiasis” are known to develop in a person’s body when there is a collection of materialssuch as mineralsto a small stone. These stones are commonly found in the kidney, but there are also those that stay in the ureter or in the bladder. Also called “nephrolithiasis,” by physicians, kidney stones can cause a great deal of pain to an individual when it blocks the urine flow. When this is not diagnosed and given proper treatment as soon as possible, it can lead to a several kidney problems that can last for a long time.

Experts agree that one of the most effective means of treating kidney stones is through prevention. Unlike severe diseases and illnesses, kidney stones can easily be prevented if the person will set his or her mind into healthy lifestyle.

More and more studies show that among the primary causes of kidney stonesaside from clinical history, hereditary factor, and medical condition of a personis unhealthy. This is by living a sedentary life with no regular physical exercise or routine and by eating foods that are not friendly to the kidney.

In order to prevent kidney stones, the first thing that people need to do is to take in lots of fluid, specifically water. Experts agree that the best way to prevent kidney stones is by flushing it out from the system. And what’s the best way to do it? By drinking a large amount of liquids, especially water which is free from major impurities.

Taking in lots of water everydayat least 8 glasses or morewill flush out waste products in the body and can help dilute the minerals or other stone-forming materials such as salts present in the person’s urine. For those who are already suffering from kidney stones or those that are prone to it, experts say that they should avoid drinking liquids with other components such as sodas and other juices to avoid the fast formation of kidney stones.

Next is to develop certain modifications in diet. Undeniably, diet plays a huge role in maintaining good health. Keeping the body free from kidney stones will greatly depend on how balanced the diet of that person would be. Majority of kidney stone-sufferers today share the same type of stonethe calcium oxalate stone.

As the name suggests, this type of stone can only be developed with too many calcium intakes. Experts say that for people to veer away from kidney stones, they should cut down on foods that are high in calcium and oxalate such as dairy products including leafy vegetables, soda-colas, cranberries, chocolates, and peanuts.

To avoid developing stones made of salts, people should also avoid meals that have high sodium content. People should focus on eating foods that are high in fiber and should also increase their citric acid or vitamin C intake. By doing this, you can your kidney stones would be dissolved in no time due to the citric properties of citrus.

Lastly, to effectively prevent kidney stones, people who has it or those who are prone to it must take in proper medication. In severe cases of kidney stones, proper medication would help such as thiazide, sodium cellulose phosphate, oral calcium supplement, allopurinol, polycitra K, thiol, D-penicil-lamine, Acetohy-droxamic acid or AHA, and toradol to help relieve kidney pain and reduce the amount of stone-forming materials in the body.

Do You Know What a Kidney Stone Is

Do you know what a kidney stone is? These are minerals are salts that are found in your urine and when it hardens, it becomes a stone. Most of the time, these are very small that it does not cause any harm but if they get bigger or it builds up, then there is a problem.

Kidney stones do not just stay in the kidney. It can move to other parts of the body. When that happens, you will feel certain symptoms. You could feel pain coming from your back or pelvis, experience spasms, notice bloody, cloudy or smelly urine, feel sick, urinate frequently and have fevers and chills.

It is hard to tell if you have kidney stones because these symptoms also happen when you have UTI or urinary tract infection. Your doctor can only tell which is which after conducting some tests.

The different tests available include blood test, urine analysis, x-rays, ultrasound and non-contrast helical computerized tomography. If initial reports and the results confirm that you have kidney stones, then the proper treatment is administered.

Doctors dont know yet what causes kidney stones. Some believe it is caused by our lifestyle, due to certain medication, post surgery or therapy and in rare cases, a genetic disorder. This happens more often to men that women between the 20 to 40 age group.

If you are diagnosed with a kidney stone, you should know that treatment varies from one patient to the next because this depends on the kind of stone found in your kidney.

There are 4 types of kidney stones namely calcium uric acid, strutvite and cystine. The first 2 are the most common and if the size is less than 4 mm in diameter, you can expel it out of your system by drinking water and some medication.

Should the kidney stone be larger than 8 mm in diameter, this is the only time that surgery may be required.

The doctor may perform one of these procedures which include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, ureteroscopic stone removal and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Each procedure is designed to shrink the kidney stone and if one treatment does not work, only then will they try something else. Surgery which has been practiced for so many years is now the last option.

Now that you know what kidney stones, is there a way to stop this from happening? Yes there is and the most effective way is through prevention. You do this by drinking 3 liters of water or 6 to 8 glasses a day, make some changes in your diet like eat and drink products that contain calcium and exercise regularly.

Kidney stones can happen to anyone regardless of age or gender but guys, you should be more careful because you are at greater risk of getting it. If you feel some pain, go and pay your doctor a visit. Dont wait until it gets worse.

If it is a false alarm, then that is good. But if you do have kidney stones, cooperate with the doctor and follow his or her directions. You should also ask if the kidney stones have caused any permanent damage and what are the risks of the procedure if it requires medical intervention. Kidney stones do happen but dont worry because it is after all, treatable.

What Diet is Ideal for People Suffering from Kidney Stones

What Diet is Ideal for People Suffering from Kidney Stones

Indeed, there is no more effective means of fighting any disease but proper diet. Many experts agree that having the right diet is one of the keys in treating and preventing common diseases such as kidney stones. This is because is there is controlled diet, people can choose not to consume foods that can lead to the faster formation and faster growthin the cases of those who already have kidney stones.

Kidney stones refer to the salts and other minerals formed in the vital organs such as kidneys, ureters, and bladder. There are a large percentage of people who can be prone to this because these stones tend to form naturally. However, not all kidney stones should be neglected because they can cause extremely uncomfortable pangs of pain and can even result to more complicated related diseases.

How can diet help

Specialists in the field of medicine would agree that the easiest way to fight kidney stones is by having a diet that is balanced and appropriate for age. This is because having a balanced diet would not ensure that one is getting all the key nutrients he or she needs but also assures them that they will have lesser chances of developing diseases such as kidney stones.

For people who are suffering from kidney stones, experts advise them to take specific preventive measures in preventing kidney stones as early as now. This is because the earlier the possible causes are prevented the greater chances of having kidney stones risks. Here are suggestions when it comes to diet to lessen the chances of having kidney stones:

– increased fluid intake. This is quite effective in fighting kidney stones because if you have enough amount of liquid in your body, it can wash away toxins and flush then out from the body. Increasing fluid intake, especially water, is the simplest yet most effective way of fighting kidney stones because it can help you keep hydrated while leaving your system clean. The ideal water intake should be 8 glasses but since people with kidney stones need more to flush out salts and other minerals in the body, 10 to 12 glasses is recommended daily.

– controlled sodium intake. Too much salt or sodium is one of the primary causes of kidney stones because it increases the calcium levels present in the person’s urine. Doctors advise people with calcium stones to cut down or totally eliminate sodium intake from the foods that they eat. This is because too much salt intake will only make the condition more complicated and may also cause other related diseases.

– higher the intake of fiber-rich foods. Fiber is considered beneficial to people with kidney stones because it contain several compoundsmostly are phytatethat guards the kidney against the formation of stones. Experts say that people who are suffering from kidney stones and those who would want to be spared from it should increase their calcium intake coming from the foods they eat such as wheat, rice bran and soybeans.

More and more experts agree that along with early diagnosis, eating the right set of foods is very crucial in keeping one’s self away from kidney stones. For those who are already suffering from this condition, all the more that they need to pay attention to their diet because this directly affects the degree or severity of the kidney stones.

What Are Kidney Stones

Kidney stones form when minerals or salts which are normally found in the urine become solid. Most of the time, they are too tiny and do not cause any damage to the kidney because the body is able to expel it. But if they build up inside the kidney, then we have a problem.

The problem starts when the stones move out of the kidney and then go to through the ureters which are the little tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. If it gets stuck here, an infection will occur which may lead to kidney damage.

You will find out if you have a kidney problem when there is pain in one side of your back or on both, you experience spasms, notice bloody, cloudy or smelly urine, you dont not feel well, you urinate frequently and when you have fevers and chills.

The symptoms mentioned are very similar to UTI or urinary tract infection and you will only know what is going on when you have yourself checked by a doctor.

What causes kidney stones is still not known. What doctors know is that this happens often to men than to women.

These individuals fall within the 20 and 40 age group, have a family history of kidney stones, take certain medications such as antacids, diuretics and thyroid medications, have one kidney or one that is abnormally shaped, eat a lot of protein in their diet, often dehydrated, have poor mobility and have had a disease in the small intestine or small intestinal bypass. Although it is treatable, a new one can develop within the next 5 years.

Doctors tell the difference between UTI and kidney stones through a variety of tests. These include blood test, urine analysis, x-rays, ultrasound and non-contrast helical computerized tomography. If initial reports confirm the findings, then treatment is administered.

Treatment for someone who has a kidney stone varies per patient because this depends on the type of stone that is inside the body. If it is nothing serious, the doctor may not even have to do anything except tell you to drink lots of water and stay physically active.

It is going to hurt trying to expel the stones out from your system so this can be identified which is why you may be prescribed a paracetamol or codeine to reduce the pain. It is only when there is an infection that antibiotics will be given and surgery will have to be performed.

Examples of such procedures include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, ureteroscopic stone removal and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. In simple terms, the doctor may use one machine to break the stones down using shockwaves, by simply pulling it out or using later to cut them into small pieces.

Kidney stone can easily be removed thanks to advances in modern medicine. If you have one or you think that you could have one, it is best to visit your doctor to see what is really the problem and the proper action can be taken.

When it is all over and the kidney stones are removed, it is best to make some lifestyle changes because they could come back and you will have to go through this ordeal all over again. Surely, you wouldnt want that to happen.