Gout can be painful enough with uric acid crystallizing in the joints. But there are other side effects that can occur. These can be just as painful, if not worse. People with gout can develop kidney stones. If you know someone who has, you can find out how they dealt with it. You may be interested in learning how to prevent or treat uric acid-related kidney stones. Calcium kidney stones are the most common. However, people with gout may be at risk of kidney stones that are formed from excess uric acid.
Prevention
To prevent stones from forming, it is important to monitor your uric acid levels. This may be something you already do, but it is a good reason to do it. This can be achieved by avoiding animal protein as much as possible, but there are other foods which can increase uric acid levels. If you want to avoid kidney stones, it is a good idea for you to find a good diet that prevents uric acid from building up. You probably know that excess uric acid can cause crystal formations in the joints.
This is because it has nowhere else to go. It can also cause kidney stones, as you may have noticed. If you have them, you need to get rid of them and prevent them from forming again. The hardest and most painful part of getting them out is the removal. If you have uric acid-related kidney stones, your doctor will tell you two things. The first would be to drink more water and follow a low-purine diet. Aim for at least 12 8 ounce glasses of water per day. If you can, try to get more. This keeps your urine dilute and reduces the chance of crystals forming in your kidneys.
This is a good idea regardless of your health status, even if it doesn’t cause gout. It is important that you drink as much water as possible in this instance. It is important to drink water throughout the day, not just in one or two sessions.
Conclusion
Your health and the size of the stones are important factors in determining the best method of elimination. Sometimes the stones can be broken up with a laser or similar device so that they are less painful. However, there are times when this is not possible and they will need to be removed whole. Your doctor can help with pain management and make plans to prevent this from happening again.