Therefore, people who have had stones need to proactively prevent recurrence and protect their kidneys through daily habits.
Hot weather is one of the factors that increases the risk of kidney stones. When the body loses a lot of water through sweat but is not adequately supplemented, urine becomes concentrated, creating conditions for substances such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid to crystallize.
Dr. Ly Hoc Tung, Peking University Hospital (China), said that drinking enough water is the simplest and most effective way to prevent stones. Experts recommend taking the initiative to drink water, divided into many times a day instead of waiting for thirst to drink.
In particular, people who have had stones need to pay attention to their daily urine intake. Maintaining a urine intake of about 2.5 liters for 24 hours is one of the important goals to help reduce the risk of recurrence of stones. However, the actual amount of water needed depends on the weather, exercise level and health status of each person.
Besides drinking enough water, diet also plays an important role. Experts recommend limiting foods high in salt, sugar and protein; do not eat too much red meat, seafood, and animal organs. Some oxalate-rich foods such as spinach, beetroot, amaranth, nuts, chocolate and strong tea should also be used reasonably, especially in people at risk of oxalate stones. Patients should increase fresh vegetables and citrus fruits.
People with stones should also not completely replace filtered water with soft drinks or sugary drinks. Frequent use of these types of drinks can increase factors favorable for the formation of stones.
Dr. Truong Van Tu, Head of the Nephrology Department of Tianjin Central Hospital No. 1 (China), said that when stones cause a sharp pain, patients may have severe pain in the lower back, pain spreading down to the lower abdomen or groin, accompanied by bloody urination, nausea, vomiting, painful urination or frequent urination. Especially, if back pain is accompanied by fever, chills or reduced urine, it is necessary to go to the hospital immediately because stones may have caused obstruction and infection of the urinary tract.
In addition, people who have had stones should maintain exercise, avoid sitting for long periods, do not hold back urine and have regular health check-ups. Experts recommend that urine check-ups and urinary system ultrasounds can be performed periodically; people at high risk of recurrence need to be monitored more regularly.
Most importantly, patients should not self-treat with folk remedies such as drinking vinegar or carbonated soft drinks to "push" stones. These methods are not scientifically based and cannot replace appropriate examination and treatment. For people who have been identified as having stones, diet and recurrence prevention methods should be adjusted based on the composition of stones and doctor's advice.
