People who have had a kidney stone are sure to have some more in the course of time. A very important factor to reduce the risk of forming stones is to drink extra water. The excess water helps dilute the substances in urine that lead to stones. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to drink at least 3 quarts (about 10-ounce glasses) of liquid a day.
The quantity of liquid you drink in a day depends upon the weather as well as your activity level. You will need to drink more water if you live, work or exercise in hot weather, as you have to replace the fluid you lose through sweat.
Some Tips to Drink More Water
- Add colour and flavor to the water you drink, without adding on calories by freezing grapes, lemon, lime, orange peels, and using them instead of ice cubes.
- In winters, drink hot water with lemon and honey.
- Some liquids such as citrus drinks may prevent kidney stones. Lemonades and orange juice contain citrate which stops the formation of crystals from turning into stones.
- Choose sparkling or mineral water instead of soda.
- Use an app to track the amount of water you drink, by down loading, and setting daily reminders and alarms.
- Mark lines on your water bottle so that you know exactly how much water you must drink throughout the day.
In case you do have kidney stones, you will have to follow a special diet. Your doctor will run a few tests to find what kind of stones are being formed, and hence determine a diet suitable for you.
- To prevent calcium stones, reduce salty foods like cheese, most frozen foods and meat, canned soups and vegetables, salty snacks, bottled salad dressings, pickles and olives.
- To prevent oxalate stones, you would have to reduce foods with high oxalate levels such as spinach, rhubarb and almonds.
- To prevent uric acid stones, reduce your intake of red meat and shellfish.
Text Credits: https://www.urologyhealth.org/
Contact 080 28483939 for more information on Kidney stones and treatment at our Specialized Clinic, ReSCUE Urology Hospital in Bangalore, Kengeri.
