The Southeast US is what urologists call the “stone belt” which geographically stretches out towards the Southwest. The hot climate, diet, and drinking habits of these areas contribute for the highest incidence of kidney stones per year. North Carolina happens to be one of the top states for kidney stones.
Kidney stones form when the urine has too little water and becomes super-saturated like making rock candy from sugar and water.
Top 3 tips to prevent kidney stones:
- Drink more water. If you’ve had a stone before you need to drink 2.5 liters or 84 ounces of water daily.
- Eat less salt.
- Eat less animals. Add a few vegetarian meals or days to your diet. Animal protein contributes to stone formation.
If you have repeated stones, you should see me for a 24 hour urine analysis and we can talk about diet changes and medications that can help you be stone free!
Roger Yau MD 