(Chelsea Update would like to thank Lisa Mesko, DC, of Proactive Chiropractic, for the information in this column.)
By Lisa Mesko
It was 6:15 a.m. on a Saturday when it happened.
I felt a strange muscle cramp in my back so I snuck out of our room and headed for the couch. Halfway down the stairs my right kidney exploded.
OK, OK, it didn’t explode but it felt that way. I dropped to my knees, grasping the railing. I couldn’t move. I could only scream for my husband, “Jeff! JEEEFFFF!”
When he saw me, pure fear washed over his face as he thought surely I had fallen down the stairs and broken my leg. Long story short, it was not a broken bone, just a tiny kidney stone. I took some pain medication and downed as much water as I could stomach. When the medication wore off, I was no longer in pain and the horror had ended.
I wouldn’t experience that much pain again until going into labor with our son. I have since then heard from several women who state they would rather give birth again before suffering another kidney stone.
So what IS a kidney stone, and more importantly, how can we never ever ever get one?
A kidney stone is exactly what it sounds like – an actual stone in the kidney. As the kidney filters the blood and creates urine, some of the other substances in urine can coalesce to form a stone. The stone then blocks the tube going to the bladder, called the ureter, and starts to backup the pipes if you will – this my friends is when you drop to your knees and scream for your significant other.
There are several types of stones, and causes for them, which is why you will want to strain your urine (yes, an actual fine mesh strainer, like for macaroni – bon appetit!) in an attempt to obtain the stone for evaluation so your doctor can determine exactly which type you have and therefore, help to prevent you from getting another.
In the event you’ve suffered a stone but weren’t able to obtain the little bugger, it might help to know that the majority of stones are calcium oxalate stones and mostly occur in people who are not hydrated enough, eat a high protein diet, have high sodium intake, or eat foods that are high in oxalates.
Here are a few tips to prevent a calcium oxalate stone:
Stay hydrated like it’s a sunny 95-degree day and you’re about to run a half marathon (read: drink more water).
If you’re not training for Olympic weight lifting, maybe cut back on the protein.
Also, drink more water.
And lastly, cut back on salt and high oxalate foods such as spinach, almonds, soy products, and grains like Fiber One and quinoa.
Oh, and in case you missed it – Drink. More. Water.
