Can drinking more water cure kidney stones?
Disease description:
Recently, I have often experienced soreness in my lower back, and there are frequent episodes of severe pain, which is quite worrisome. I went to the hospital for a checkup and found out that I have kidney stones. I want to know, is drinking more water an effective treatment for kidney stones?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Drinking more water can play an auxiliary role in the treatment of kidney stones, but it may not completely cure the condition. The specific effectiveness depends on the size of the stone and the individual patient's situation:
1. Small stones: For stones smaller than 5mm in diameter, drinking more water combined with appropriate physical activity (such as walking or jumping) can help increase urine output, dilute urinary salt crystals, and promote the passage of stones through urine. In this case, drinking more water may aid in stone expulsion and improvement of the condition.
2. Large stones: For stones larger than 5mm in diameter, simply drinking more water is often insufficient to expel the stones naturally. In such cases, more active treatment measures, such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgical intervention, are required. After these procedures, continued increased water intake is recommended to facilitate the passage of fragmented stones or residual fragments.
