Kidney Stones: Tips For Prevention

It's been 8 years since last I passed a kidney stone. If you haven't experienced this, let me tell you it's excruciating. Nausea, vomiting, sweating, intense sharp lower back, side and abdominal pain, especially while urinating--honestly I prefer childbirth. I wish that were an exaggeration. The passing of the stone itself is wildly uncomfortable.

This morning I realized I have kidney stones, and I hate to admit I'm not surprised. After my last bout with them I made a concerted and constant effort to keep myself hydrated and minimize sodium intake (just two of the risk factors you can read about on mayoclinic.org) to lower the possibility of dealing with them ever again. For 8 years I was doing great. But in this last month I've been careless regarding my sodium intake and I sure as heck have not been hydrating the way I should be.

Now I'm home from work chugging all the water, curled up hoping this will pass. Please take some advice from me: Be diligent about your health even in the ways that seem like not such a big deal. At the very least be on top of your water consumption, especially if you're someone who tends to sweat a lot like I do. Profuse sweaters are more prone to kidney stones. If you have any tips or home remedies to get me through this annoyingly painful situation, let a girl know!