Kidney stones, once incurred, can pave the way for a lot of problems. There are a number of issues that you would have to deal with. For one thing, there is the excruciating pain that would have to be faced. Other problem such as blood in urine or infections can also be quite alarming. Therefore, if someone has a familial history of kidney stones, they ought to be rather cautious in terms of their diet and hydration so that they do not have to face this condition.
Diet is the sole way via which one can be in a position to evade the plethora of problems that come with kidney stones. In fact, once kidney stones are incurred, it is the diet that plays a pivotal role in removing them from your body.
However, it is prudent to mention that it is necessary to consult a specialist if you have the signs and symptoms associated with kidney stones. Once you have confirmed via tests and scans that the size of the stone is small, you should proceed to deal with the problem with dietary modifications and natural treatments. Not dealing with large kidney stones promptly can lead to further complications including the likes of kidney failure, which is why confirmation is necessary before you proceed.
We are now going to present you with some dietary changes that need to be brought about in your lifestyle if you are looking to avoid kidney stones. There are certain dietary modifications that can also come in handy if you are looking to get rid of small stones via natural mode and do not like the idea of acquiring surgical treatments for it.
Disclaimer: The diet for kidney stones is nothing out of the ordinary. You would be surprised to know how small changes can lead to the eradication of the entire issue.
Recommended Diet for Kidney Stones
Kidney stones, once incurred, are not easy to get rid of. The treatment is likely to follow a rather protracted course, particularly if you are going to opt for the natural mode. Even when we talk about the surgical means to get rid of the stones, the journey is not so smooth.
The most common method to treat kidney stones is shock wave lithotripsy. Needless to say, a shock wave is not going to be painless. It would leave you sweating and you would feel fatigued for some time to come. Furthermore, during this phase, your defenses might be weak and infections might come into play. The shock wave serves to break the stones into small fragments, following which you are directed to drink lots of water so that the stones can get a passage out of your body with urine.
Another surgical treatment for kidney stones is open kidney surgery which, for quite obvious reasons, most people do not prefer unless there is no other way out. Thus, kidney stones need to be dealt with at an early stage. This would ensure that the stone does not get to a size that it would have to be broken into small fragments before it can be facilitated out of the body.
There are two main ways via which you can opt for relief from the surgical methods of kidney stones. One is that you detect the problem at an early stage and arrest the growth of the stone. The other is that you prevent it from forming in the first place. In both these routes, the diet plays a pivotal role.
The kind of dietary modifications that you need to adopt depends on your circumstances. If you have a familial history of kidney stones and you are looking to avoid incurring the same condition, there are a number of changes that you would have to bring about in your lifestyle.
The importance of hydration cannot be emphasized enough. You will have to increase the hydration level and drink plenty of water in a day.
Avoiding animal proteins might also prove to be rather beneficial for you. In order to fulfill the requirements of your body for proteins, it is advisable to switch to vegetable protein. Many people might hate the idea of giving up all the 
meat. If that is the case, you do not need to give it up altogether. Instead, lower the concentration and make a gradual switch to vegetable proteins.
Fibers need to be incorporated into your diet as much as possible. Fibers are helpful not only to prevent the formation of kidney stones, but also prove to be rather advantageous for those who have already developed stones. They retard the progression of the size of the stones, thereby ensuring you arrest the stones at an early stage and making surgical treatments unnecessary.
Certain vegetables like celery and kidney beans would also work well to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Pomegranate is a fruit that you will find very helpful in this regard.
Another scenario is that you have had kidney stones and are looking for means that would impede reoccurrence. Indeed, once kidney stones have been developed, the chances of recurrence are incredibly high, which is why it is strongly advised to bring about some changes in this regard. The dietary modifications that you would be required to make in this instance would depend on the type of stones that you had previously.
For example, if it is calcium oxalate stones that you had before, you would need to limit the consumption of those food items that are enriched with oxalate. This does not imply that you give up on calcium completely. Instead, you need to take it in minute quantities and during the instances that you do take food that contains oxalate, make sure you wash it down with plenty of water. In case of cysteine stones, purine would have to be avoided, which means restricting the intake of red meat. For uric acid stones, one would have to give up animal proteins, the importance of which has already been mentioned.
Magnesium supplementations also play a role in restricting the formation of kidney stones. However, it is advisable not to take vitamin C supplements and instead, rely on natural sources.
Amidst it all, do not forget to focus on the importance of hydration. It is also important that you do not take those items that concentrate urine. The stasis of urine predisposes you to stone formation and so do urine infections. Therefore, both these scenarios need to be evaded.
The incidence of kidney stones seems to be rising at an alarming stage. Most of these cases are reported when the size is too large and natural treatment is out of the question. This is something that needs to be avoided. It is necessary that the kidney stones are not taken lightly. One needs to comprehend the graveness of the situation and give the issue serious attention.
If kidney stones are neglected, it can lead to acute renal failure. Several other problems might also occur. Therefore, attention needs to be paid so that the problem can be detected at an early stage and appropriate treatment can be started.
Considering the fact that it is in your hands to evade this situation and prevent the formation of kidney stones, you ought to start thinking about it. You need to give this careful thought, particularly if you are genetically predisposed to the condition. Failure to do so would only lead to bigger problems. Do not wait until the very last stage.
