Health Tip: Reducing Your Risk of Kidney Stones

Preventive steps you can take

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(HealthDay News) -- A kidney stone is a hard formation of waste products from urine. The stone can stay in the kidney where it was formed, or move into the urinary tract. Either way, it can be very painful.

People who have had a kidney stone are more likely to have another one.

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The American Academy of Family Physicians says there are things you can do to reduce your risk of developing kidney stones:

• Drink 14 cups of fluids, preferably water, each day.
• Limit your salt intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams each day. Prepackaged meals may be particularly high in salt, so be sure to read the labels and check sodium content on everything you eat.
• Limit the amount of meat you eat to no more than two 6-to-8 ounce servings each day.
• People with recurring kidney stones may need an exam to figure out what's causing the problem. Your doctor may prescribe medication to help prevent kidney stones.

-- Diana Kohnle