How can the development of kidney stones be prevented?
Measures to prevent kidney stones are particularly useful in patients who have already had a kidney stone at least once, as otherwise stones will reappear in over half of them. In order to be able to carry out appropriate prevention, it is important to carry out urine and blood tests as part of the diagnostic procedure, as well as an analysis of stones that have come off, in order to find out what caused the stones and what substances they consisted of, as different prophylactic procedures are followed depending on the type of stone. In order to reduce the risk of kidney stones in general, it is advisable to drink a sufficient amount of water (ideally about 3 liters per day!
), ideally well distributed throughout the day. You should also make sure that you take regular exercise, maintain an appropriate weight and eat a balanced diet rich in fibre. In addition, there are specific recommendations, especially in nutritional behavior, which are given depending on the type of stones.
With calcium (phosphate) stones, calcium-rich foods, especially milk and dairy products, should be avoided. Quite the opposite with oxalate stones! With this type of stone, however, you should avoid as much as possible because these foods contain high amounts of oxalate.
With uric acid stones it is advisable to keep to a low-purine nutrition plan, which means above all avoiding (particularly fatty) meat products, offal and legumes.
- Rhubarb,
- Spinach,
- Black and green tea,
- Chocolate,
- Cocoa,
- Beet and
- Nuts,
In addition, depending on the components of the kidney stones, the pH value of the urine can be changed by either acidifying or making it more alkaline, thus reducing the risk of new stones. In addition, certain drugs such as allopurinol, thiazides or antacids can be administered, which are also intended to ensure a normal composition of the urine. If an underlying disease is associated with an increased risk of kidney stones, their development can of course be prevented by successfully treating the underlying disease. With adequate, individually adapted prophylaxis, which is consistently carried out by the patient, the risk of recurrence after an occurred kidney stone (relapse) can be reduced to about 5%.
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