Dr. K. Shailaja

The pair of kidneys that human beings have, forms an important part in the excretory system. They perform specific and important functions. They excrete urine as well as help in eliminating the toxins, which accumulate in the body. Kidney stones occur when the minerals present in the urine without being discharged, keep on accumulating. This gives rise to an extremely painful and uncomfortable situation. Though sometimes the situation gets revoked all by itself, many-a-times it requires medical intervention. 

Some of the symptoms of kidney stones are: 

1. Excruciating pain in the back
2. Pain while urinating
3. Tendency to vomit
4. Dizziness
5. Fever 

However, there are several preventive measures which you can undertake in order to avert the situation. Some of them are:

1. Drink lots of water: Kidney stone is one of those rare conditions that once occurred, always carry the latent threat of recurring again. Therefore, drinking water in large quantities becomes essential. The more you drink water, the more frequently you would urinate, thereby curbing the chances of the minerals settling in the kidneys.
2. Avoid certain foods: Food like beets, spinach, those which are replete with calcium oxalate should be avoided in order to minimize chances of having kidney stones. 
3. Foods recommended:
   • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
   • Drink plenty of water ( 10 -12 glasses of water)
   • Dietary calcium of 1gm a day
   • Low oxalate diet Foods to be restricted
   • Reduce the amount of salt in your diet
   • Restrict food containing excess of oxalate
   • Limit intake of animal proteins
4. Change your diet: If you are trying to avoid the eventuality of developing kidney stones, it is imperative that you change your diet a bit. It is recommended that you exclude animal protein as much as possible and assiduously avoid the intake of salt as much as possible.
5. Take less calcium supplements: Calcium generally is considered a nemesis to your kidneys and is prescribed by doctors to be avoided. However, recent research has thwarted this claim. Calcium does not pose a threat to kidneys. However, calcium supplements definitely do and therefore, should be avoided. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an urologist.