Kidney Stone Myths That Aren't Real

Myth No. 1: Drinking cranberry juice will help flush out the kidney stone.

Fact: Cranberry juice might actually make your kidney stones worse. "It is good for preventing urinary tract infections, because it does solidify the urine and prevent infections, but it has the opposite effect with kidney stones,” Mantu Gupta, MD, director of The Kidney Stone Center at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells Yahoo Health. “Cranberry is high in oxalate [which can cause kidney stones], so we recommend not to drink cranberry juice or take supplements.

Myth No. 2: Getting a kidney stone feels like a stomachache.

Fact: Getting a kidney stone actually feels similar to a contraction — and some patients say the pain can be more severe than labor, says Gupta. The pain is typically colicky, coming in waves for intervals at a time. It can range from a sharp, stabbing sensation, to the sort of pain that comes from menstrual cramps, says Gupta.

Myth No. 3: You feel the pain in your lower back, where your kidneys are located.

Fact: The pain actually originates a little lower in the abdomen or gut, after the kidney stone passes into the ureter. “The reason it hurts is that it’s like a cork going down your ureter, which is shaped as a funnel and gets skinnier as you get to the bladder,” says Philip Buffington, MD, chief medical officer of The Urology Group in Cincinnati, Ohio. The kidney stones then start to block the flow of urine and, if enough time passes, can cause the kidney to descend, causing terrible pain and nausea.

Myth No. 4: Drinking milk, which has calcium, will cause kidney stones.

Fact: Calcium is not the enemy. “Many people are causing kidney stones because they have a lack of calcium in their diet,” says Gupta. He suggests having a glass of milk or yogurt with your meal and consuming foods with magnesium, which will help bind the oxalate and help prevent kidney stones. 

Myth No. 5: Drinking soda can cause kidney stones.
Fact: Drinking fluids with phosphoric acid and high sodium levels can cause kidney stones. It’s not cola itself that causes kidney stones, but an ingredient in cola called phosphoric acid that can lead to an increased risk of kidney stone formation, says Gupta. Cola is also a diuretic, which can make your urine more concentrated with salt and promote kidney stones.
Source: yahoo health.com