What Every Man Over 50 Needs to Know About Kidney Stones

A kidney stone can be one of the most painful experiences that a man over 50 can suffer from, and can cause constant pain and be a cause of constant concern for many older men. Kidney stones form as a result of calcium metabolism and involve the two chemicals oxalate and uric acid. Many people eat foods with high levels of these two chemicals daily and generally this is not a problem, but when this occurs in men over 50, the risk increases greatly. Especially when the amount of calcium consumed is beyond the recommended daily limits.

Any man over 50 can be struck by kidney stones but this occurs more frequently in Caucasian males over the age of 50. Generally most people get their first kidney stone at the age of 35 or thereabout but this varies widely and depends on a myriad of this including diet and metabolic activity. Generally though after you have your first kidney stone, the chances of having another kidney stone increases greatly. Approximately 60% of people who have a kidney stone will get another one within a period of eight to ten years and the frequency of the kidney stones also increases each time (time between each kidney stone gets shorter and shorter).

There are many ways to remove kidney stones from men over fifty and urologists as well as your family doctor can discuss in detail many of the treatment options available to you. Sound therapy or lithotripsy is a recent advance which doctors can use to destroy kidney stones while they are inside the body. This is very effective in removing large stones which can cause infections along with other medical complications. Generally though most kidney stones are small and the best way to remove kidney stones is using diet and exercise. The diet though is most effective especially in the prevention of the formation of the kidney stones.

To prevent kidney stones, you need to drink at least 100 ounces of water or liquid per day. The amount of salt that you consume should also be reduced and generally the greater the amount of urine produced daily is the greater the amount of kidney stone forming materials that you are removing from your body.

Another effective way to prevent kidney stones is to reduce the consumption of oxalates, this is especially true of red meat and many other foods (chocolate, tea, pepper and spinach) that can actually promote the formation of oxalates in your body. To reduce the formation of kidney stones, you can lower the consumption of these materials.

Cranberry juice is also an effective treatment in the prevention of kidney stones and urinary tract infections since studies have shown that bacterial infection also play a role in the formation of kidney stones and the cranberry juice destroys this bacteria. Men over 50 can prevent kidney stones by following these simple tips and help to protect themselves from the pain associated with these dreadful calcium deposits.

References
1. The Big Book of Health Tips. The editors of FC&A Publishing .FC&A Publishing
2. Before You Call The Doctor. Ballentine Books. New York 1992