What Should You Eat If You Have Kidney Stones?

The most prevalent health issue nowadays is kidney stones. Fever, pain in the flank area, and blood in the urine are some major symptoms. The most common cause of stone development is decreased water intake.

When someone experiences pain when urinating, blood in the urine, nausea, vomiting, pain in the groin or abdomen, murky or foul-smelling urine, or a persistent urge to urinate, they should seek emergency medical assistance. If one is experiencing any symptoms of kidney stones, one can schedule a consultation with a kidney stone removal specialist Dr. Niren Rao. He is one of the best urologists who offers the most advanced kidney stone treatment in Delhi. He also suggests people with kidney stones have a good diet to prevent the formation of stones in their kidneys. Read on to learn more about diet and treatment options for kidney stones.

What to eat if you have kidney stones?

Increase fluid intake: The best strategy to avoid stones is to consume more water, which dilutes your urine. Fluid intake needs to be increased to 10 standard cups (250 mL) in 24 hours. Traditional fluid options include water, citrus juices, and carbonated mineral water beverages. An excellent degree of success is that the color of the urine should be clear or a very pale yellow. The fluid should be low in sugar and calories.

Decrease salt intake: The goal is to reduce added salt in the diet. The human body consciously controls its salt levels. In other words, the more salt your kidneys filter, the more calcium forms in the urine. Moreover, by binding with other minerals, excessive calcium in the urine might cause the production of new stones.

Maintain calcium intake: Limiting calcium intake can actually prevent kidney stones. Unless a specific abnormality is detected through blood tests, calcium stones are not normally due to a calcium excess in the body. Calcium is important for maintaining bone health and especially against osteoporosis as we age. One should avoid or cut down on eating foods that are high in oxalates, like nuts, chocolate, beets, and nut butter.

Water infusions: Water infusion is the best and perfect way when one has kidney stones, as they add flavor to water. This is incredibly helpful as it helps people who have difficulty staying hydrated as they find normal water bland. The flavor encourages people to keep sipping so they can flush kidney stones.

Kidney Stone Treatment

PCNL

This is one of the most often performed minimally invasive kidney stone treatments in South Delhi by Dr. Niren Rao is Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy or PCNL. It can be carried out while under spinal or general anesthesia and is typically used for stones larger than 2 cm. A small incision less than 1 cm long is created on the back or flank, and then a pathway into the kidney is formed through it, leading up to the stone. The kidney stone is then broken up into pieces and removed using a nephroscope. The kidney is then given a DJ stent, which can be taken out a week later. The patient must be admitted to the hospital and must remain there for one to two days. Although the incidence is relatively low (about 5%), bleeding is a concern with this procedure and can occur even after 2–3 weeks of uneventful surgery.

Mini PCNL

Mini and ultra-small PCNL is the actual keyhole surgery due to improvements in procedures and the miniaturization of devices. Smaller probes and lasers can be used in these procedures to remove stones as small as 7–8 mm (assuming they are detectable in X-rays). Patients can return to their regular jobs as soon as they recuperate from surgery because the post-operative recovery period is quick, there is less blood loss, and the hospital stay is brief.

RIRS (Retrograde Intra-Renal Surgery)

In this procedure, a flexible ureteroscope is inserted directly into the kidney through the urine route, the bladder, and the kidney. Under direct eyesight, kidney stones can be broken up into small pieces and extracted using tiny baskets using a holmium laser. With this treatment, no skin incision is made. The removal of stones from challenging kidney sites is extremely helpful. Patients employing this procedure experience less bleeding and a quick recovery.

URS (Uretero-Renoscopy)

A rigid ureteroscope, which is as thin as a pen, is used to treat stones that are lodged in the ureters, the narrow tube that transports urine from the kidney to the bladder. No skin incision is made while the ureteroscope is passed through the urinary tract. The stone is broken up into smaller pieces using a pneumatic lithoclast or a Holmium laser once the ureteroscope has reached the stone. A forceps is used to remove the stone bits one at a time. A stent, merely a safety device, is inserted into the ureter after the treatment. A week later, the stent is removed via the urinary canal.

If one is experiencing kidney stone issues and want to get them corrected and achieve a healthy life, they can consult an expert Dr. Niren Rao, Urology Doctor in Delhi.