Top Tips for Kidney Stone Prevention
If you have had a kidney stone in the past, then kidney stone prevention is absolutely something you are interested in. No one wants to repeat the pain of a kidney stone, and unfortunately if you have had one kidney stone, you have an increased chance of getting another one. Thankfully, there are several things that can help with kidney stone prevention.
Kidney Stone Prevention Tip #1 - Increase Fluid Intake
The number one tip for kidney stone prevention is to boost consumption of fluids, especially water. Medical and nutritional experts have long recommended that everyone drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day for optimum health. If you are working on kidney stone prevention, this is even more effective.
If you are not currently drinking enough water, you may want to increase your intake gradually and allow your body time to adjust. Try adding one additional glass of water a day until you reach a daily intake of 10 glasses of water. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't when you intersperse it throughout the day.
Increasing fluids doesn't only have to mean drinking more water. Some other fluids can do the trick also, but be careful not to add fluids that will dehydrate rather than hydrate. Anything with caffeine is generally not an acceptable form of fluid intake a few that are perfectly acceptable include caffeine-free tea, orange juice, grape juice and carrot juice. Adding a lime or lemon to your water is another way to change it up and make the additional glasses of water more tasty and appealing.
Kidney Stone Prevention Tip #2 - Dietary Changes
Depending on what is causing your kidney stones, there are some dietary adjustments that can work toward kidney stone prevention. Before you undergo any of these changes, though, it is recommended that a doctor tests your kidney stones to see what they are made of and then suggests the specific changes that might be effective for your particular kidney stone prevention path.
Generally, the dietary changes that are recommend for kidney stone prevention include the following:
• Increase fiber intake
• Reduce the amount of beef, pork and poultry you eat
• Add calcium-rich foods like dairy products
• Lower both salt and protein consumption
• Eliminate high-oxalate foods, including dark green veggies, nuts and chocolate.
Kidney Stone Prevention Tip #3 - Medicine
There are a number of medications that can help dissolve existing kidney stones and prevent future kidney stones from forming. Medication must always be taken under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner, and it always depends on the makeup of your individual kidney stones.
There is a lot of information out there about kidney stone prevention, but the most important thing to remember is that almost all kidney stone prevention treatments depend on what type of stone you are dealing with. Always get a doctor's opinion before embarking on any new kidney stone prevention method.