How are kidney stones formed? Know 5 household habits that can be the reason

Often people think that kidney stones are formed only due to food and drink, but the truth is that some common household habits of our daily life can also become a major cause of kidney stones. Know what these 5 reasons are?

Kidney stones are a common but very painful problem that can happen to anyone of any age nowadays. It is formed when the minerals and acid salts present in urine combine with each other and form small particles or crystals. Then they gradually grow and take the form of stones. Sometimes these stones get out through urine on their own, but in some cases they block the urinary tract and cause problems like severe pain, blood in urine and vomiting.

 

It develops slowly and its roots are in our lifestyle and food habits. If water is drunk in right quantity, a balanced diet is taken and the needs of the body are taken care of, then this troublesome condition can be avoided. There are some small household habits which we do not pay attention to. It is also important to keep these in mind so that kidney problems can be detected in time and proper treatment can be done.

 

 

Due to these reasons, kidney stones are formed

Dr Himanshu Verma of the Nephrology Department at Safdarjung Hospital has explained some causes of kidney stones

drink less water

The first and most common habit is drinking less water. Sufficient water is necessary to keep the body detoxed and the urine diluted. When the amount of water in the body decreases, the urine becomes thick and the minerals present in it start sticking together, which increases the chances of stone formation.

Eating salty foods

Another habit is frequent consumption of salt or eating too much salty food. Excessive intake of salt increases the amount of sodium in the body, which leads to more calcium being excreted in the urine. This helps in the formation of calcium stones.

Eating too much oxalate

The third habit is to consume too much oxalate-rich foods like spinach, tea, chocolate, beetroot, etc. These foods can increase the amount of oxalate in the urine which can combine with calcium to form kidney stones.

consuming more protein

The fourth habit is consuming too much protein, especially red meat, eggs and processed foods. These not only increase the amount of uric acid but also make the urine more acidic, increasing the chances of stone formation.

holding urine

The fifth habit is to hold urine. Many people do not urinate frequently or hold urine for a long time, due to which minerals start accumulating in the urinary tract and the process of kidney stone formation accelerates.

Keep these things in mind to prevent kidney stones

Dr Verma says that kidney stones are not a sudden disease but it is the result of our small carelessness. If we improve our daily routine and diet like drinking plenty of water, taking a balanced diet, limiting things rich in salt and oxalate, then it is possible to prevent kidney stones.