Dubai: People living in desert climates such as the UAE are more prone to kidney stones as they do not drink water because they do not feel thirsty due to air-conditioning, doctors have said.
“The urine becomes concentrated and crystals are formed,” said Dr Rishikesh Ramesh Pandya, Specialist Urology, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi.
He said that people should drink more than 3.5 litres of water every day.
He also advised against drinking cola or tea and coffee to replenish lost fluids as colas are rich in oxalates. Colas have phosphoric acid and create an acidic environment in the kidney tract. When your urine becomes too acidic, kidney stones are able to form more easily.
Drinking tea and coffee which have caffeine in, on the other hand, may have a mild diuretic effect, meaning they will make you urinate more and dehydrate you. The doctor said it was best to drink plain water to keep yourself hydrated.
One of the common conditions resulting from dehydration are kidney stones that occur due to crystallisation of the body’s salts in the kidneys due to lack of fluids.
A doctor of alternative medicine said kidney stones can be dissolved using unani and a proper diet.
He advised against eating tomatoes and spinach if your are suffering from kidney stones. “The skin of the tomato is difficult to digest and it takes a long time for the kidneys to filter it,” he said.
Dr Syed Asaduddin Ahmad, a doctor of unani medicine and a hijama practitioner in Sharjah, said he sees three patients people suffering from kidney stones every month during the summer, especially construction workers and those working outdoors.
The doctors said kidney stone patients who are cured are more prone to get kidney stones again and should take precautions in their diet and drink more water. Those taking antacids and who chew tobacco are more prone to kidney stones, he said.
Dr Pandya said kidney stones can lead to kidney infection and kidney damage. About 20 per cent of the Middle East population suffer from kidney stones.
