Most people who have had more than one kidney stone are likely to form another. Therefore, prevention is very important. There are two types of preventive measures that help in preventing other kidney stones from developing; these are life-style changes and medical intervention. Kidney stones do occur in certain metabolic disorders or structural abnormalities of the genito-urinary system. Blood and urine analysis are used to detect such abnormalities. The correction or treatment of the disorder is the mainstay in the prevention against this recurrent disease. Also the first time stone patients have a higher risk of stone disease again. It is advised that they be screened with an ultrasound and X-ray for asymptomatic disease. However, many of the patients' don't have evident abnormality on the metabolic work-up. 30-50% of people with a first kidney stone will get a second one within five years. The risk of getting a second stone is about 5-10% each year. Some of the preventive measures for kidney stone recurrence are as follows:
Life-style changes:
? Increase water intake. The risk of getting a second stone can be reduced by half through drinking enough water to produce two or more liters of urine a day.
? People with high level of uric acid in their urine or who make uric acid stones, the drug allopurinol can reduce the rate of recurrence of stones.
? If stones are associated with infection, complete clearance of both the stones and the infection is required if recurrence is to be avoided.
? Limit the amount of calcium and oxalate-based foods eaten. These include apples, black pepper, chocolate, coffee, cheese, grapes, ice cream, vitamin C, yogurt, tomatoes and oranges, to name a few.
? Limit the amount of animal protein eaten.
? Limit salt intake.
? Limit supplemental intake of vitamin C and D. Consult the doctor before taking vitamin supplements.
? Limit alcohol consumption.
Medical interventions:
? For calcium stones, the doctor may prescribe thiazide diuretics or phosphate-containing preparations. Additionally, in hyperparathyroid patients, removal of all or part of the parathyroid glands located in the neck helps prevent further stone development.
? For uric stones, the doctor may prescribe allopurinol and a medicine to keep the urine alkaline.
? For struvite stones, the doctor will monitor the urine for bacteria on a regular basis. Additionally, if struvite stones cannot be removed, the doctor may prescribe acetohydroamic acid (AHA). AHA is used with long-term antibiotics to prevent the infection that leads to stone growth.
? For cystine stones, the doctor may prescribe Thiola. This medication helps reduce the amount of cystine in the urine.
Numerous dietary factors manipulate kidney stone formation for better and for worse. There are eatables that you are better off avoiding and there are others that must be incorporated in your diet. Caffeine, found in beverages such a tea, coffee and soft drinks, adds to the perilous threat of kidney stones.
Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the human body. It is found in different proportions in tealeaves, coffee beans, guarana berries, cocoa and more. Caffeine works to keep drowsiness at a bay and brings about alertness. Thus, it is the most popular and most-consumed psychotropic substance. The principal source of caffeine intake in humans is known to be coffee beans.
A recent study has revealed that caffeine may put you at a risk of developing kidney stones. Therefore, if you are prone to kidney stones, coffee is best avoided or at least the daily intake must be reduced to no more than two small cups. The study was initially conducted on a group of people with a history of kidney stones. These patients were administered caffeine equivalent to that found in two cups of coffee. Urine tests conducted on these subjects revealed a considerable elevation in the calcium level, which is a precursor of kidney stone formation.
A similar study conducted on subjects with no history of kidney stones produced similar results. These individuals were given caffeine with water. They had consumed nothing for the past 14 hours and urine tests had been conducted two hours prior to caffeine intake. Urine tests were carried out again after two hours of caffeine consumption. The results showed that calcium levels in their urine were as high as in 30 participants with a history of kidney stones who had been subjected to the exact same test. Both groups also displayed elevated levels of sodium, magnesium and citrate.
The results of this study were revealed in an interview with Reuters by Linda Massey, study leader at Washington State University in Spokane. She concluded that excessive calcium and sodium in the urine hold risks of kidney stone formation. On the contrary, elevated levels of magnesium and citrate have desirable opposite results.
Thus, regardless of whether you are prone to kidney stones or not, do restrict your daily caffeine intake and manage a regular ingestion of magnesium and citrate. This will help you stay kidney stone free
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