How to Prevent Renal Colic

Medication may be prescribed to stop kidney stones from forming.

Renal colic is caused when a kidney stone travels from the kidney down the urinary tract. The pain comes in excruciating waves rather than staying constant, earning the term "colic." While there is no guarantee this medical condition will not occur, there are ways to avoid forming kidney stones--or, if you already have them, to treat them immediately to avoid renal colic.

Instructions

1. Drink 12 cups of water a day, or more. Hydration is important to flush the kidneys of the various substances that can build up and form a stone, or flush any tiny stones that are forming. Juice or light-colored sodas such as lemon-lime flavors or ginger ale also help avoid stone formation and renal colic.

2. Avoid foods high in oxalates, which combine with calcium to form one type of kidney stone. These foods include berries, spinach, seeds, nuts, cocoa and certain grains and legumes.

3. Include foods high in calcium in your diet, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. While these foods were previously thought to cause kidney stones, new studies have shown them to be beneficial in prohibiting their formation, as long as the calcium is taken in through food and not pills.

4. Have regular blood and urine tests performed to catch the early formation of any kidney stones. Treatment is much easier when stones are small, and can ensure renal colic will not occur.

Tips & Warnings

• Know your likelihood of getting a kidney stone. If either parent has had one, your chances are increased. People with frequent urinary tract infections, thyroid issues, or kidney diseases, as well as Caucasians, men over 40 and women over 50 are more likely to develop stones, which can then travel.

• Ask your doctor if medication is necessary to avoid the formation of stones.

• Treat small stones immediately when they are found by X-ray or CT scan, before they can travel through the urinary tract. Treatment methods may include prescription medication that breaks down the stones, surgery or a non-invasive technique of using sound waves in a large tub of water to break up the stones.

• Once a stone has been discovered, it is likely more will continue to form unless you change dietary and lifestyle habits that can cause them.

References

• Colic Remedies: Renal Colic Symptoms
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Kidney Stones
• Health and Age: How To Eat and Drink if you Have Kidney Stones

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Kidney Stones in Adults
• WHfoods.com: What are Oxalates?