Some patients who have had kidney or ureteral stones may form more stones in the future. After your Stone passes or is removed, your urologist will determine if you are at high Risk of recurrence. To do so, he or she will need to analyze the stone. In addition, the urologist will consult the results of your blood and urine tests which were done before treatment.
If your risk of recurrence is low, general lifestyle changes will be enough to cut the risk of forming another stone.
If you have a high risk of recurrence, the doctor will run a series of specific blood and urine tests called metabolic evaluation. Depending on the test results, the doctor will recommend preventive measures or further tests.
General lifestyle advice to prevent kidney stone recurrence:
Even if you have a low risk of forming another stone, your urologist will advise you to make some lifestyle changes. These measures reduce the risk of you getting another stone and improve your health in general. The following are the advices for adults.
Drink more
· Make sure you drink 2.5 to 3 liters every day
· Drink evenly throughout the day
· Choose pH-neutral drinks such as water or milk
· Monitor how much you urinate. It should be 2 to 2.5 liters every day
· Monitor the color of your urine: it should be light
· Drink even more if you live in a hot climate or do a lot of physical exercise. This will help you to balance your fluid loss
Adapt your diet
· Depending on your individual situation, your urologistmay recommend that you adapt your diet. It is important to discuss this with the doctor first.
· Have a balanced and varied diet
· Eat lots of vegetables, fibers, and fruits (especially citrus fruits)
· Try to eat more low-oxalate foods like eggs, lentils, white rice, peeled apples, grapes, cauliflower, squash, etc.
· Make sure your diet contains a sufficient amount of calcium (about 1,000 milligrams a day). However, be careful with calcium supplements and always ask your doctor for advice
· Reduce the amount of salt in your diet (no more than 3 to 5 grams a day)
· Do not eat too much animal protein, especially meat from young animals. Instead, eat more vegetable protein, found for example in avocado, cauliflower, or peas
· Maintain a healthy weight (your Body Mass Index should be between 18-25 kg/m2)
Healthy habits
Adopting a healthy lifestyle is always a good idea.
· Try to exercise 2 or 3 times a week
· Avoid stress
This post first appeared on Dr. Rahul Yadav Urologist In Lucknow (UP) India, please read the originial post: here
