No More Kidney Stones: The Experts Tell You All You Need to Know about Prevention and Treatment, Revised and Expanded Edition

Acknowledgments.

About This Book.

PART ONE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KIDNEY STONES.

1 THE KIDNEY STONE "BOOM."

What Are Kidney Stones?

Why Do Some People Get Kidney Stones?

The Stone "Boom."

Prevention Is the Cure.

The Dietary Prescription.

Preventing Kidney Stones.

Commitment to Change.

2 THE URINARY SYSTEM.

The Urinary System and How It Works.

The Balance Concept.

How Trouble Starts.

3 HOW YOUR KIDNEYS BALANCE YOUR BODY.

Why Balance Is Important.

Elements of Balance.

How the Kidneys Keep the Body in Balance.

What Happens When the Body Gets Out of Balance.

How to Keep Your Sewer System Unclogged.

4 NOT ALL KIDNEY STONES ARE CREATED EQUAL.

Four Types of Kidney Stones.

Calcium-Containing Stones.

Uric Acid Stones.

Cystine Stones.

Struvite Stones.

Bladder Stones.

Importance of Stone Analysis.

5 HOW AND WHY KIDNEY STONES FORM.

Genetics.

Diet and Lifestyle.

What Is a Kidney Stone?

Discouraging Crystal Formation.

What Kidney Stones Are Made Of.

The Conditions That Favor Crystal Formation.

The Best Inhibitor of Kidney Stones.

Making a Uric Acid Stone.

6 WHY KIDNEY STONES ARE SO PAINFUL.

Kinds of Pain.

Three Areas Where Stones Hang Up.

Secondary Symptoms.

Never Make Your Own Diagnosis of a Stone.

Treating Pain.

When Hospitalization Is Needed.

7 HOW MUCH WATER DO I REALLY HAVE TO DRINK?

Causes of Low Urinary Output.

How Much Is Enough?

Hard Water, Soft Water.

Mineral Water.

How to Consume More Water.

The Role of Fluids.

8 DIETARY TROUBLEMAKERS.

How Much You Eat Is Just as Important as What You Eat.

Animal Protein Is Animal Protein.

Protein and Kidney Stones.

The Calcium Controversy.

Salt.

Oxalate.

Vitamins and Kidney Stones.

Alcohol.

The Dietary Troublemakers.

9 MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE KIDNEY STONES.

Bowel Disease.

Medullary Sponge Kidney (MSK).

Hyperparathyroidism.

Milk-Alkali Syndrome and Ulcers.

Anatomic Abnormalities.

Paralysis and Immobilization.

Renal Tubular Acidosis (RTA).

Acquired RTA in Glaucoma Patients.

Cystinuria.

Oxalosis.

10 DIETING YOUR WAY TO A KIDNEY STONE.

The Problem with Rapid Weight Loss.

Fad Dieting.

Fad Health Regimens.

Eating Disorders.

Laxative Abuse.

How Stone Formers Should Diet.

11 MEN AND STONES.

Why Men Make More Kidney Stones.

Pain Patterns.

12 WOMEN AND STONES.

Why Women Make Kidney Stones.

13 THE WORKUP.

Risk Assessment.

The Workup.

Translating Your Workup into a Risk Assessment.

Where Are You on the Risk Ladder?

PART TWO: THE PLAN.

14 NO MORE KIDNEY STONES.

Diet Is Not a Four-Letter Word.

The Master Plan.

Tips for Staying on the Plan.

15 FINDING THE DIET THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.

Rating Yourself.

How Much Do You Have to Change?

Do You Consume Too Many Troublemakers?

How to Know if You Are Eating Too Much Protein.

How to Know if You Are Drinking Enough Fluids.

Do You Weigh Too Much?

Food Diary.

Classic Stone-Forming Profiles.

16 LIFESTYLES OF THE KIDNEY STONE FORMER.

Bathroom Access.

Fluid Loss.

Ultraviolet (UV) Light Exposure.

Eating Patterns.

Change in Lifestyle.

17 OPERATION OXALATE.

Why Dietary Oxalate Is Important.

The Problem with Oxalate Recommendations.

Key Issues in Oxalate Control.

Oxalates and Seasonal Foods.

18 MODIFYING RECIPES AND CONTROLLING PORTIONS.

Recipe Modifications.

Portion Control.

19 HEALTH-FOOD STORE HAZARDS.

Supplements.

Muscle-Building Protein Supplements.

Herbal Teas.

Natural Weight-Loss Regimes.

Hair Regrowth.

Beverages.

Vegetarian Burgers.

Laxatives.

Energy Bars.

The Juice Craze.

Pastas.

Candies and Cookies.

Read Labels in the Health-Food Store.

20 SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

Parties and Other Excuses to Cheat.

Thanksgiving.

Barbecue.

Wedding Banquet.

Breakfast Buffet.

Four Pitfalls of Special Occasions.

21 ETHNIC CUISINES.

Chinese.

Mexican.

Greek.

French.

Japanese.

Italian.

American.

Indian.

22 STAYING MOTIVATED.

How Far Can You Deviate?

Diluting the Mistake.

PART THREE: MEDICINES, SPECIALISTS, AND PROCEDURES.

23 CHOOSING A SPECIALIST.

Who Does What.

How Do You Find Out Whom to See?

24 MEDICATIONS.

Who Needs to Take Medications?

What Are the Medications?

25 DECIDING WHO SHOULD BE TREATED.

Assessing whether You Need Immediate Intervention.

26 PROCEDURES AND TECHNOLOGY.

Picking a Procedure.

Comparison of ESWL and Ureteroscopy with Laser Lithotripsy.

Treating Stones in the Kidney.

Open Surgery.

27 WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER TREATMENT.

What to Expect before and after Treatment.

When to Call the Doctor.

What if Treatment Fails?

Asking the Right Questions.

Do Not Forget.

Appendix A: Useful Tables.

Appendix B: Food Diaries.

Glossary.

Bibliography.

Index.

About the Authors.