What causes urinary stones in men?

Urinary stones are a common urinary system disease. This disease is most likely to occur in middle-aged men. We need to remind everyone that there are different types of urinary stones in men, including ureteral stones, kidney stones, bladder stones, etc., so we must learn to distinguish them correctly. There are many causes of urinary stones in men, especially those related to many bad living habits of men.

Causes of urinary stones in men:

1. Drink less water and often hold urine

Water can dilute urine, reduce the concentration of various substances in urine, reduce accumulation and prevent high concentrations of salts and minerals from accumulating into stones. At the same time, a large amount of water can also excrete small kidney stones that have already formed. However, some people do not drink enough water, which leads to less urination and is prone to stones. Frequent urine retention prevents substances that are prone to stones from being excreted in time, greatly increasing the chance of stone formation. The daily water intake should be 3000-3500ml, divided into multiple times and evenly distributed throughout the day, to achieve 2 liters of urine per day. If you work under the scorching sun all day, the amount of water you drink should also be appropriately increased.

2. Drink beer frequently

Some people think that beer can be diuretic and prevent the occurrence of urinary stones. In fact, the malt juice used to brew beer contains acidic substances such as calcium, oxalic acid and purine nucleotides. These substances interact with each other and increase the uric acid in the human body, becoming an important inducement for the formation of kidney stones.

3. Strong taste, too salty

Salt and calcium have a synergistic effect in the body and can easily cause stones. In addition, a diet that is too salty will increase the burden on the kidneys and can interfere with the metabolic process of drugs for the prevention and treatment of kidney stones, which is not conducive to the dissolution and excretion of small stones.

4. Drink strong tea regularly

Oxalic acid, which is rich in tea, is one of the important components of stone formation. People with a history of urinary tract stones or a family history should pay special attention to the amount and method of drinking tea. If you cannot give up the habit of drinking tea, you should avoid drinking tea all day, or brew it weaker to reduce the concentration of tea and the concentration of oxalic acid. When drinking tea on an empty stomach, a large amount of oxalic acid will be absorbed into the body, and the chance of forming stones is relatively high, so it should be avoided as much as possible.

5. Drink milk before bed

Most kidney stones contain calcium salts. The most dangerous factor for stone formation is the increase in calcium concentration in urine. After sleep, urine volume decreases, and various tangible substances in urine increase, which can make urine thicker and increase the calcium concentration in urine. Since milk contains more calcium, 2 to 3 hours after drinking milk is the peak time for calcium to be excreted through the kidneys. If you are in a sleeping state at this time, your urine will be concentrated, and more calcium will pass through the kidneys, which will easily form stones. Therefore, people who are prone to stone disease should avoid drinking milk before going to bed. It is generally recommended to drink it 4 hours before going to bed at night.

6. Like to eat sweets

After eating sugar, the calcium ion concentration, oxalic acid and acidity in urine will increase. The increase in urine acidity can make calcium urate and calcium oxalate easier to precipitate, promoting the formation of stones. The increase of all three at the same time makes it easier to form stones.

7. Overeating foods containing calcium oxalate

Most urinary stones in China are calcium oxalate stones. If the intake of oxalate in food is too much, the calcium oxalate in urine will be oversaturated, and the excess calcium oxalate crystals will precipitate from the urine to form stones. Among foods, spinach has the highest oxalate content. Other foods with high oxalate content include asparagus, walnuts, beets, chocolate, tofu, milk, mustard tuber, kelp, sesame paste, pig brain, shrimp skin, etc. You should eat them in moderation.

8. Excessive intake of animal protein and fat

Studies have shown that regular consumption of high-protein foods such as animal offal, such as liver, brain, and kidney, will produce more oxalic acid and uric acid in the body and promote intestinal absorption of calcium. Excessive fat intake can increase the amount of oxalate in the urine and increase the incidence of urinary stones.

9. Eat soy products regularly

Tofu and dried bean products are rich in purine, which can also lead to an increase in uric acid levels and an increase in uric acid salt crystals, which can easily form kidney stones after precipitating from the urine.