Page Under Maintenance
This page is currently under maintenance.
Please communicate at the hospital help desk for assistance.
Common steps to help prevent kidney stones naturally include drinking enough water to pass about 2 to 2.5 litres of urine daily, cutting back on salt, eating calcium-rich foods, and limiting animal protein and sugary drinks. These habits help keep stone-forming minerals diluted in the urine.
Below, you’ll find what causes stones, which habits may help, and when to see a specialist.
Kidney stones are hard lumps made of minerals and salts. They form inside the kidneys and can travel down the urinary tract. Some are as small as a grain of sand. Others grow as big as a marble.
Kidney stones can affect men, women and younger people.
You may be at higher risk if you:
|
Stone Type |
Main Cause |
|
Calcium oxalate |
High oxalate, low fluids |
|
Uric acid |
High-purine diet, gout, acidic urine |
|
Struvite |
Repeated urinary infections |
|
Cystine |
Inherited condition |
Urine carries waste minerals out of your body. When there is too little water and too many minerals, they can clump together. Over weeks or months, these clumps can harden into stones.
Three things commonly contribute: dehydration, a diet heavy in salt and animal protein, and low levels of citrate, a natural stone blocker in urine.
Fluid intake is a basic step in prevention. Aim for enough fluid to produce about 2 to 2.5 litres of urine a day. For most adults, that means 2.5 to 3 litres of fluids, more if you sweat a lot.
A simple check: your urine should look pale yellow. Dark yellow suggests you need more water.
Gulping a litre at once does little. Sip steadily. Keep a bottle on your desk, and have a glass before each meal. Drink a glass before bed too, since urine becomes concentrated overnight.
Lemon and orange juice contain citrate. Citrate binds to calcium and may help reduce stone formation. Squeeze half a lemon into your water once or twice a day. You don’t need sugar.
Extra sodium makes your kidneys release more calcium into urine. That raises your stone risk. Keep total sodium under 2,300 mg a day, which is roughly one teaspoon of salt.
Watch the hidden sources: pickles, papad, chips, instant noodles, sauces and packaged snacks.
Calcium from food can lower stone risk. It binds oxalate in the gut so your body doesn’t absorb it. Good sources include milk, curd, paneer and ragi.
Aim for 1,000 to 1,200 mg daily from food. Take calcium supplements only if your doctor advises it.
You don’t need to ban them. Just don’t overdo them, and pair them with a calcium source.
Too much meat, chicken and fish raises uric acid and lowers citrate. Both make stones more likely. Try to keep portions to a palm-sized serving, and add more dal, vegetables and whole grains.
Soft drinks and packaged juices, especially those with fructose, may add to stone risk. Colas also contain phosphoric acid. Swap them for plain water, nimbu pani without sugar, buttermilk or tender coconut water.
Obesity changes how your body handles acid and minerals, so a healthy weight may lower your risk. A 30-minute walk on most days is a simple way to start. Avoid crash diets, as they can raise uric acid.
High-dose vitamin C (above 1,000 mg a day) can raise oxalate levels. Some protein powders and herbal products also add to the kidney’s load. Check with a doctor before starting any new supplement.
Choose More Often |
Limit or Balance |
|
Water, nimbu pani (no sugar) |
Cola and sweetened drinks |
|
Curd, milk, buttermilk |
Excess salt, pickles, papad |
|
Oranges, melon, bananas |
Large amounts of spinach, beets |
|
Dal, vegetables, whole grains |
Red meat, organ meats |
|
Tender coconut water |
Energy drinks, protein shakes |
Lifestyle steps are meant for prevention. They may not dissolve a stone that has already formed. See a doctor if you notice any of these:
Fever with kidney pain needs urgent medical attention. Go to a hospital the same day.
If you have had a stone before, a 24-hour urine test can help identify which minerals are out of balance, so your doctor can plan prevention for your situation.
Self-care covers the basics of prevention. Recurring stones, kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure need evaluation by a specialist. Treatment options for stones that need removal include laser stone removal (RIRS).
Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, has kidney care teams that manage stone disease along with related conditions such as kidney infections and chronic kidney disease.
Relevant Blog : Living Donor vs Deceased Donor Key Differences
Drinking enough water, eating less salt, getting calcium from food and limiting animal protein can help lower the risk of stones. If you have a medical condition that causes stones, you may need medicine too.
Aim for 2.5 to 3 litres of fluids a day, or enough to make 2 to 2.5 litres of urine. People who sweat heavily, work in the heat or exercise a lot need more.
Lemon contains citrate, which helps stop calcium stones from forming. It supports prevention, but it won’t cure a stone you already have. Adequate water intake remains an important part of prevention.
Stone risk is linked to a combination of factors: too much salt, red meat, sugary drinks and large amounts of high-oxalate foods, along with low water intake.
See a doctor for sharp pain in the side or back, blood in the urine, burning or frequent urination, or nausea and vomiting with severe pain. Fever with kidney pain needs urgent medical attention.