If you have ever gotten a kidney stone, you know how incredibly painful they can be. The pain can come and go for several weeks or even months, causing pain and pressure in your kidneys, back, side and groin. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to reduce your chances of getting another kidney stone.

Drink Plenty of Water

While you can drink other fluids as well, make sure you are drinking enough water. To help prevent kidney stones, you should be drinking enough liquid to produce about two to two and a half liters of urine daily. During hotter weather or if you exercise a lot, you are going to sweat more. Therefore, you will likely need to increase your liquid intake.

Reduce Your Sodium Intake

If you have too much sodium in your diet, calcium will be excreted at the same level as the excess sodium, leading to more calcium in your urine. To prevent this, cut back on the amount of sodium in your diet. You should consume less than two grams of it daily. Make sure you check your foods and beverages for hidden sodium. You may find high levels of it in unexpected places.

Add High-Citrus Fruits to Your Diet

Lemons, limes and other high citrus fruits, and juices from these fruits can help to prevent kidney stones. The one key is to be careful about the sugar content in the juices. Either go for sugar-free lemonade, or create your own by squeezing fresh lemon or lime juice and using a sugar substitute.

Be Careful with Oxalate-Rich Foods

Many oxalate-rich foods are good for you. This includes beets, rhubarb, spinach, and nuts. While you do not want to completely eliminate these foods from your diet, limiting the number of oxalate-rich food you consume can be helpful. Consuming extra water or eating oxalate-rich food with foods and drinks high in calcium can also help to reduce your chances of forming kidney stones.

Contact Urology Experts

Of course, one of the keys to discovering the best way to prevent kidney stones is discovering the culprit behind your kidney stones. This can be done by testing the makeup of the stone or stones. If you are suffering from kidney stones and you would like to know the makeup of your stones, or if you are having other urology problems, either call us or contact us online.