If you ever had a urinary stone, you’d never forget it. The pain in your lower back and belly come as shock waves when you try to pass the tiny stone through your urinary tract. Memories of the unbearable pain will make you do everything in your capacity to avoid having to go through the experience again. So what are these stones anyway? Why does it form in our body if its so unwanted and only mean to cause pain? Our urology specialist explains how exactly this tiny stone ends up forming in your body.

Urinary stones are formed when your urine contains more of crystal-forming substances like calcium, oxalate and uric acid than the fluid which can dilute it. Further, your urine may lack substances that prevent crystals from sticking together, leading to an ideal situation for stones to form.

For many of you, this could be a frequent occurrence. Most of them are so small that they pass out of your body when you urinate. Then there are those few which are slightly bigger and cause you pain. In rare cases, there might be some stubborn stones that get too big for passing through the tract and get stuck midway, causing acute pain and infection. In case of an infection, urologists recommend an easy surgical procedure for immediate removal of the stone.

But there are ways to tackle this issue with a little bit of determination. The important thing to do is to be educated about urinary stones and ways to avoid its formation. So let us dig a little deeper into the world of urinary stones-

1. There are different types of stones which are formed as a result of different food intake. Calcium stones are the most common and forms due to excessive salt intake and metabolic abnormalities. Uric acid stones are caused by consuming excessive animal protein. Struvite stones are produced by bacteria and cystinuria is a genetic kidney disease that causes cystine stones.
2. Kidney stone formation can be hereditary. It can be also due to dehydration and obesity. This explains why some people are more prone to stone formation.

Even if you develop kidney stones frequently, learning about them and long-term care can decrease the chances of getting one. Diet changes and regular checkups at our urology clinic in Dubai will help you keep kidney stones at bay.

Regulating your diet can help you a lot in coping with a kidney stone and its related issues. Drinking water is the easiest and most effective way to fight stones. Make it a point to drink enough water to pass 2 liters of urine every day. That amounts up to 8 ounces of water per day.

Getting enough calcium in your daily diet can help in lowering the level of oxalates, which is a prime cause of kidney stones. Reduced sodium intake is another recommended dietary change.

Apart from helping your kidneys, it also does good to your heart and blood pressure. Consuming a lot of animal protein like red meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood tends to increase the uric acid levels in your body leading to stone formation. Also, oxalate-rich food items like beets, chocolate, spinach, and nuts can contribute to kidney stones. Urologists advise you to avoid these food items or to consume them in smaller amounts if you suffer from stones. Follow these simple food rules and drink plenty of water to keep your kidneys healthy. You can also do your checkups at our urology clinic in Dubai. Say goodbye to kidney stones!