Ask anyone who has passed a kidney stone, and they will tell you it is an excruciating experience, often compared to childbirth. Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys.
\n\nIf you've had one stone, you have a roughly 50% chance of developing another one within 5 to 7 years. The secret to stopping them lies in understanding exactly what your stones are made of.
\n\nThe Two Main Culprits
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- Calcium Oxalate Stones (Most Common): While it sounds like you should stop eating calcium, the opposite is actually true! Diets low in calcium actually increase your risk of these stones. The real issue is often how your kidneys process calcium, or eating too many foods high in oxalates (like spinach, nuts, and chocolate) without enough hydration. \n
- Uric Acid Stones: These form when your urine is too acidic, often caused by a diet very high in purines (meat, organ meat, shellfish) or by conditions like gout or rapidly losing weight. \n
The Preventative Blood Tests
\n\nTo prevent future stones, doctors rely on blood and urine tests. A Comprehensive Kidney Function Test (KFT) combined with tests for Serum Calcium and Uric Acid will reveal if your body is overloaded with the raw materials that build stones. Once you know the cause, targeted diet changes (and drastically increasing your water intake) can keep you stone-free.
