Kidney Stones Prevention Strategies stones503

So how do you keep stones from happening again? Nearly 80% of all kidney stones are made of calcium compounds. Oxalate is present in almost all the foods we eat and is a major part in stone formation. Dark green vegetables, chocolate, tea, coffee, cola, nuts, cranberries and meat to mention a few. After having a stone, patients are instructed to drink more water, about 8-10 glasses per day. We do numerous tests to identify the type of stone including dietary and medical history, stone analysis, blood work and urine culture. If it's determined that you are high in calcium which can be driven by sodium and you eat a lot of potato chips and popcorn one of the things to change is reduce the amount of salty snacks. A dietician may be consulted to help guide the patient's diet. Additionally, medications can also be taken to help. All stone formers should undergo a simple screen for medical risk factors. First time/low risk stone formers are treated with conservative dietary measures. High risk stone formers should undergo a simple metabolic evaluation and undergo treatment with dietary and pharmacologic measures.