What are kidney stones and how are they formed?
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Kidney symptoms, while not immediately life-threatening, can produce intense pain and discomfort. The often crippling pain can warrant a hospital visit if they don’t pass naturally. There are steps people can take to prevent them from developing in the first place, however.
How to prevent kidney stones
Kidney stones commonly affect people aged between 30 and 60 in one or both kidneys.
They develop as crystallised masses of blood-borne waste product and can become lodged in the urethra.
When they do, they can cause several alarming symptoms.
These include:
- Abdominal, groin or testicular pain
- High temperature (38C +)
- Excessive sweating
- Waves of severe pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blood in the urine
- Urine infections
Health professionals associate kidney stone development with several specific factors.
- People will often develop them under the following circumstances:
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Taking some medications
- Having a medical condition that raises levels of some substances in urine
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Doctors recommend correcting dietary habits to prevent kidney stones.
Some recommendations include:
- Drinking more fluids, especially eater
- Avoiding fizzy drinks
- Drink water with fresh lemon juice
- Reduce dietary salt content
Many of these will help keep people’s urine as clear as possible.
Clearer urine (which is either pale yellow or water-like) indicates fewer waste products.
Water is the healthiest fluid to reduce urinary waste content, although others, such as fruit juices or tea, also count.
Anyone who wants to make changes to their diet and avoid kidney stones should consult their doctor first.
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