According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one out of every eleven Americans has kidney stones. According to the National Kidney Foundation, nearly 500,000 Americans have to go to a Houston, TX emergency room due to kidney stones yearly. Go to an emergency room if you experience severe signs and symptoms of kidney stones.
These include sharp pain in the abdomen and groin, trouble urinating, frequent urge to urinate, vomiting, and nausea. Sometimes, you can have foul-smelling urine and feel pain and discomfort around your vagina or testicles.
Always ensure that you monitor the early signs and symptoms of kidney stones. That is important, so they do not become bigger and require emergency care. Kidney stones left untreated for too long puts you at risk of an injured or blocked ureter, urinary tract infection, and loss of kidney function.
Remember that you can put yourself at less risk of kidney stones. Below are tips that can help you prevent kidney stones.
- Exercise regularly
Subjecting your body to regular exercise and physical activity can be vital in maintaining a healthy weight. Also, it can help maintain healthy levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. An active lifestyle can also keep safe levels of salt, calcium, and other minerals in your body.
When your body has excess oxalic acid, salts, and other minerals, without flushing them out, they will crystalize. Crystalizing urine will lead to kidney stones.
Moreover, if you are physically active, there is a better transfer of minerals to locations they are needed. For example, instead of calcium ending up in the kidneys, it will go toward building bones.
Regularly exercising can also improve the function of kidneys and thus prevent the formation of kidney stones.
- Eat healthily
Eat healthy foods so your body has all the essential minerals and vitamins and you do not become overweight. For instance, diets high in added sugars can promote weight gain and, thus, obesity. If you are obese or overweight, you will experience more urinary excretions involving uric acid, calcium, struvite, and other minerals.
And, of course, you may have diabetes, which can promote the formation of stones in your kidneys. Foods you should avoid eating that can make you prone to kidney stones are a beer or alcoholic beverages, anchovies, and red meat.
- Stay properly hydrated
Always stay properly hydrated, especially if you exercise and urinate regularly. Without adequate water and fluids in the body, there will be a higher concentration of minerals such as oxalate and calcium in the urine.
Consume fruits and vegetables that can increase the fluid intake in your body and boost the balance of minerals. These fruits and vegetables include cucumbers, tomatoes, and broccoli.
If you go to your doctor and have small to medium-sized kidney stones, your doctor will most likely prescribe certain medications. Medications can help relax the ureter muscles, making it possible for a quick and comfortable passing of kidney stones. Your doctor can also use minimally invasive procedures or surgery to treat kidney stones.
Contact Houston Medical ER today to schedule an appointment for specialist diagnosis and treatment of kidney stones.
