Some
patients who have had kidney or ureteral stones may form more stones in the
future. After your stone passes or is removed, your urologist will determine if
you are at high risk of recurrence. To do so, he or she will need to analyze
the stone. In addition, the urologist will consult the results of your blood
and urine tests which were done before treatment.
If
your risk of recurrence is low, general lifestyle changes will be enough to cut
the risk of forming another stone.
If
you have a high risk of recurrence, the doctor will run a series of specific
blood and urine tests called metabolic evaluation. Depending on the test
results, the doctor will recommend preventive measures or further tests.
General lifestyle
advice to prevent kidney stone recurrence:
Even
if you have a low risk of forming another stone, your urologist will advise you
to make some lifestyle changes. These measures reduce the risk of you getting
another stone and improve your health in general. The following are the advices
for adults.
Drink more
·
Make sure you drink 2.5 to 3 liters every day
·
Drink evenly throughout the day
·
Choose pH-neutral drinks such as water or
milk
·
Monitor how much you urinate. It should be 2
to 2.5 liters every day
·
Monitor the color of your urine: it should be
light
·
Drink even more if you live in a hot climate
or do a lot of physical exercise. This will help you to balance your fluid loss
Adapt your diet
· Depending on your individual situation, your urologist
may recommend that you adapt your diet. It is important to discuss this with
the doctor first.
·
Have a balanced and varied diet
·
Eat lots of vegetables, fibers, and fruits
(especially citrus fruits)
· Try to eat more low-oxalate foods like eggs,
lentils, white rice, peeled apples, grapes, cauliflower, squash, etc.
· Make sure your diet contains a sufficient
amount of calcium (about 1,000 milligrams a day). However, be careful with
calcium supplements and always ask your doctor for advice
·
Reduce the amount of salt in your diet (no
more than 3 to 5 grams a day)
· Do not eat too much animal protein,
especially meat from young animals. Instead, eat more vegetable protein, found
for example in avocado, cauliflower, or peas
· Maintain a healthy weight (your Body Mass
Index should be between 18-25 kg/m2)
Healthy habits
Adopting
a healthy lifestyle is always a good idea.
·
Try to exercise 2 or 3 times a week
·
Avoid stress
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