How to tell if you have kidney stones
Kidney stones are solid, often jagged, or even smooth-shaped, masses or crystals made of minerals and salts that form in your urinary tract.
Kidney stones can be caused by several factors like dehydration, diet, medical conditions, medications or genetics. There are different types of stones, too, like calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid and struvite. Calcium oxalate is the most common kind, making up about 70% of stones.
“Those types of stones, along with others less common are not dissolvable,” says Loboda.
The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain in your back, abdomen or your side. Other symptoms include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Blood in your urine.
Pain with urination.
Unable to urinate.
The need to urinate more often.
Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy.
Fevers or chills.
“These symptoms typically occur when the stone moves out of the kidney,” says Loboda. “Stones that are within the kidneys generally don’t cause pain. The pain occurs when they begin to migrate out of the kidney and cause blockage.”
So, if you can’t dissolve your kidney stones, what can you do?
Work on prevention, advises Loboda. A few lifestyle changes can help decrease the risk of forming more stones in the future.
Drink fluids
The No. 1 reason kidney stones form is that you aren’t drinking enough fluids.
“Dehydration is a big factor,” says Loboda. “Staying well-hydrated is one of the most important factors for prevention. We always want people to drink plenty of fluids, unless there is a medical reason they are restricted from doing so.”
You should focus on having about 2.5 to 3 liters of urine output a day for adequate stone prevention, which translates to drinking about 80 to 100 ounces a day for the average person.
The internet is full of information on other fluids that can help with kidney stones, but for the most part, sticking with water is ideal.
But a few ingredients show promise, though the research is limited:
Apple cider vinegar.
Dandelion root juice.
Banana stem juice.
“Water is obviously the best thing, but all fluids count,” notes Loboda.
Consume citrus
Fruits and vegetables like lemon, limes, tomatoes, melons and oranges are great for keeping your levels of citrate high.
“Citrus is important because it binds calcium in the urine,” says Loboda. “Citrus can also dissolve some crystals before they have a chance to even turn into a stone.”
