"Doctor, my back hurts so badly that I always feel like something is stuck there, is there a stone in my kidney?" Mr. Li asked anxiously.
He loves big fish and meat, especially fatty seafood and braised pork, but he ignores the importance of a healthy diet. When the doctor heard this, he frowned slightly, "Mr. Li, it is indeed possible that your symptoms are kidney stones.
It is important to know that our kidneys are not impregnable, and long-term unreasonable eating habits may be the culprit that induces kidney stones. Mr. Li looked stunned, "Can diet still have anything to do with kidney stones?" The doctor nodded, "That's right, and listen to me slowly......"
01. The harm caused by kidney stones
Abnormal urination and pain: Patients with kidney stones often suffer from a series of urination problems, such as urinary frequency, urgency, and painful urination, which not only bring inconvenience to daily life, but also may affect work and social activities.
Especially when the stone moves or blocks the urinary tract, the patient may feel intense difficulty urinating, and the pain like a pinprick is unbearable. In severe cases, the stone completely blocks the urethra, which may lead to anuria, which prevents the toxin from being excreted from the body normally, causing general malaise.
Impaired kidney function: Long-standing kidney stones can cause ongoing irritation and damage to kidney tissue. Stones rub against the walls of the renal pelvis and ureters, which can lead to a local inflammatory response that can lead to hydronephrosis.
Fluid accumulation further compresses the renal parenchyma, affecting blood circulation in the kidneys, which may lead to a decrease in glomerular filtration rate and a gradual decline in kidney function over time. Patients with severe kidney stones may even experience loss of kidney function and kidney failure if they are not treated promptly and effectively.
Increased risk of secondary infections: The presence of stones provides an ideal breeding environment for bacteria, significantly increasing the risk of urinary tract infections. The infection not only exacerbates the painful symptoms, but also may cause systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, the formation of purulent kidneys, leading to a rapid deterioration of kidney function.
Recurrent attacks and psychological stress: Patients with kidney stones often face the problem of recurrent stone attacks, and each attack requires treatment, which not only consumes a lot of time and energy, but also brings a heavy psychological burden to the patient. Frequent episodes of pain, the process of seeking medical attention, and worries about future health can lead to anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems.
Risk of complications: Long-term or severe kidney stones may lead to a series of complications, such as perirenal abscess, urogenic sepsis, renal cortical necrosis, etc. Urinary sepsis is particularly dangerous, as bacteria enter the bloodstream through damaged kidney tissue and cause systemic infections that can be life-threatening in severe cases.
Increased financial burden: The cost of treatment for kidney stones includes drug costs, examination costs, surgery costs, etc., and for patients who do not have sufficient medical insurance, long-term medical expenses undoubtedly increase the financial burden on families.
02.4 Bad drinking and eating habits should be changed as soon as possible
High-salt diet: High salt intake can lead to an increase in the concentration of sodium ions in the urine, which in turn increases urinary calcium excretion. Long-term high-salt diet makes urinary calcium levels persistently high, and it is easy to form calcium stones with other substances such as oxalic acid.
High-sugar diet: Excessive intake of sugar, especially added sugar, can lead to increased insulin resistance in the body, which indirectly leads to hyperuricemia. Uric acid is too high and is oversaturated in the urine, which is prone to the formation of uric acid stones.
Low-calcium diet: Although excessive calcium intake may lead to calcium stones, a low-calcium diet is also not conducive to kidney stone prevention. A low-calcium diet can increase the absorption of oxalic acid in the intestine, leading to hyperoxaluria, which binds to calcium in the urine and predisposes to the formation of calcium oxalate stones.
Diet high in animal protein: Diets high in animal protein not only increase urinary calcium excretion, but also promote urine acidification, both of which are beneficial for stone formation.
03. Recommendations for the prevention of kidney stones
Regular and quantitative water plan: Create a personalized water plan to ensure that you are hydrated evenly throughout the day. Drinking more water, especially in the morning, after waking up, between meals, before bedtime, and before and after exercise, can help maintain a persistent dilution of urine.
Low-oxalic acid diet strategy: When choosing vegetables, consider varieties with low oxalic acid content first, and when cooking oxalic acid-rich foods, use blanching or steaming, and some oxalic acid can be dissolved in water to be removed.
Timely calcium supplementation: Patients with non-hypercalciuria may choose to take calcium supplements between meals or before bedtime under the guidance of their doctor to reduce the concentration of free calcium in their urine. Take several hours apart from oxalic acid-containing foods to reduce the risk of calcium oxalate crystallization.
Alkalizing urine diet: Increase your intake of foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and citrate, which help regulate urine pH in favor of alkaline, which is beneficial for inhibiting the formation of uric acid and oxalate stones.
Dietary fiber fortification: Ensure a sufficient daily intake of dietary fiber, especially water-soluble fiber, fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, reduce the reabsorption of stone components in the urine, and help maintain blood sugar stability and indirectly prevent stone formation.
Prevention is always better than cure, and instead of suffering when a stone strikes, it is better to make lifestyle changes from now on, so that healthy eating habits and regular routines become a solid foundation for kidney health.
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