Post Date December, 02 2023
When it comes to kidney stones, I'm afraid many friends will talk about "stones" turning pale. It's not just a headache, it can be said that the whole body hurts. Today, I will answer some common questions for everyone!
Q1: Why does the doctor make me drink a lot of water?
A: Due to the high temperature and increased sweating in the human body, drinking more water to prevent excessive concentration of urine can have a certain effect on preventing the formation of stones and the onset of renal colic. For people with smaller stones (including patients with mild symptoms who have not yet noticed them), drinking more water can increase urine output, play a role in flushing the urinary tract, prevent sedimentation, and promote the discharge of small stones in the urine. Moreover, it can also dilute urine, thereby reducing the concentration of calcium ions and oxalate ions, preventing the formation of calcium oxalate stones.
The recommended amount of drinking water is 2-3 liters per day, and it should be consumed in installments
PS: If the diameter of the stone is more than 1 cm, causing mechanical obstruction of the urinary system, or hydronephrosis, or accompanied by hypertension, chronic kidney disease, serious ulcers, heart disease, etc., it is not advisable to drink more water, otherwise the obstruction will be aggravated or other diseases will have an acute attack.
At present, the medical community believes that drinking more water has a certain effect on protecting the kidneys and treating kidney stones, but it cannot be one-sided understood and should be determined based on the specific situation of the patient.
Q2: I used to take regular calcium supplements, but I heard that calcium is one of the main components of stones. Do I need to throw away all the calcium tablets?
A: Actually, that's not the case! Kidney stone patients also need calcium supplementation!
The main reason for kidney stones is not due to excessive intake of calcium, but rather a disorder in calcium metabolism in the human body, resulting in abnormal "calcium migration". The formation of kidney stones generally depends on the concentration of oxalic acid in the human body. Blindly limiting calcium intake cannot effectively prevent the formation of stones, and people with calcium deficiency can also develop stones. Therefore, patients with stones and calcium deficiency should be able to supplement calcium reasonably.
Patients with stones should consume 1-1.5 grams of calcium per day, which not only does not worsen their symptoms of stones, but also improves osteoporosis
Q3: What should I pay attention to in terms of diet?
A: Eating is one of the important means to intervene in kidney stones:
1
Restricting salt intake
According to the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, it is recommended that each person consume less than 6 grams of salt per day. Research has shown that excessive intake of salt can increase the concentration of urine, leading to the formation of stones. So it is recommended that friends with stones, especially those with calcium stones, should reduce their salt intake and reduce their daily salt intake to 2-3 grams.
2
Eat less foods with high oxalic acid content
Among the army of kidney stones, patients with calcium oxalate stones account for the vast majority. These patients must strictly limit their intake of oxalic acid and avoid consuming foods rich in oxalic acid. Generally speaking, vegetables and fruits with obvious astringency contain high levels of oxalic acid, such as plant-based foods such as spinach, bitter gourds, persimmons, and unripe bananas.
Tip: Before consuming vegetables with high oxalic acid content, blanch them before cooking. This not only effectively removes 40% -70% oxalic acid, but also improves the taste!
Here is a reminder to everyone that good lifestyle habits are the guarantee of our physical health. Wishing all kidney friends an early "elimination" of stones.
