Can you eat watermelon if you have kidney stones?
The first and main question that worries many with this diagnosis.
The answer is yes, you can, but still in moderation. As with any medicine, it is important not to increase the dosage without permission. Otherwise, if you overeat watermelon, it can only get worse.
Moreover, those who have additionally been diagnosed with hypertension, chronic renal failure, and edema should treat watermelons with special caution.
With these diagnoses, the kidneys are already barely processing fluid, but you risk loading them even more.
What to do if watermelon hurts your kidneys
Since each individual’s body is individual, the reaction to increased stress on the kidneys can be completely different. Some people experience aching pain in the lower back that can be tolerated. In some cases, the pain is so severe that the person needs emergency medical attention.
If the patient’s condition does not require immediate hospitalization, and the course of the disease can be characterized as not acute, then the patient is provided with complete rest and is protected from physical work. Drinking and eating regimens should also be observed. It is not recommended to postpone a visit to the doctor, since the slightest unfavorable factor can provoke an exacerbation of kidney problems.
To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes laboratory urine tests, a clinical blood test, and instrumental examinations of the pelvic organs. Based on the data obtained, appropriate treatment and medications are prescribed. For some inflammatory diseases of the kidneys or other organs of the urinary system, after completing the course of treatment, it is necessary to take tests again. This is done in order to confirm the absence of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms that provoke inflammatory processes.
Doctors' opinion
In order to be completely objective, we present the opinions of doctors. After all, before using this or that method, it is worth getting a complete picture.
Many experts are against the watermelon-bread diet. Although in medicine, ripe and fresh watermelon is considered a safe product, doctors still believe that it should not be the basis of the diet, but can only be included in it.
Good nutrition is important. After all, along with harmful components, sand, concretions, and stones, watermelon also washes away beneficial substances.
Black bread in combination with watermelon, according to doctors, can sharply increase gastric acidity. And this will provoke an exacerbation of gastritis.
Traditional method for eliminating kidney stones
Many people are skeptical about folk remedies for self-healing, and rightly so. But doctors do not always recommend safe methods. So, to eliminate kidney stones, they sometimes resort to surgical treatment, which also has its pros and cons.
The site komy-za30.ru wants to clarify that the recipe below is contraindicated for anyone who:
- intestinal diseases,
- heart pathologies,
- phosphaturia
- and the diagnoses indicated above in the article.
Today we are talking exclusively about watermelon for kidney stones, so we will give a recipe for cleansing the renal pelvis . If you can eat watermelon if you have kidney stones, that is, there are no associated contraindications, then there is such a method.
You will have to carry out this cleansing procedure for a week. As a weekly diet - ripe watermelon and black bread. As much watermelon as you can fit. But bread - in small quantities. This diet is still quite strict, so using it without taking into account contraindications is extremely unwise.
Causes of pain after eating watermelon
Kidney pain
If a person is absolutely healthy, then he can consume watermelon in any quantity without fear for his health. But it is not uncommon for nephrologists, as well as urologists, to hear from patients a question with approximately the same content - why do the kidneys hurt after drinking watermelon?
As a rule, people suffering from diseases of the excretory system encounter such phenomena. In rare cases, healthy people experience discomfort in the lower back with large amounts of berries consumed.
This may be due to the increased intensity of the organs’ work, but this is a reason for diagnosis, because perhaps not everything is in order with the kidneys.
Pain indicates:
- passage of stones due to urolithiasis (damage to the epithelium of the ureters);
- blockage of the lumen leads to the fact that urine cannot pass freely;
- congenital or acquired anomalies requiring study and correction;
- the presence of inflammatory processes or neoplasms;
- nephroptosis – prolapse of the kidney;
- adhesions in the kidney parenchyma after surgery or a consequence of pathological processes.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Pain can vary in nature, type and intensity. Everything will be dictated by the existing pathology, for example, when a kidney prolapses in the first degree, the discomfort is aching, and when a stone moves or the urinary canal is blocked, the pain is severe and acute (colic). In the latter case, immediate qualified assistance from medical personnel will be required.
If a person notices that after drinking too much or eating watermelon he has discomfort or pain, then this is a good reason to visit a urologist. It is necessary to undergo diagnostic examinations (blood tests (general and biochemical) and urine, urography, ultrasound, CT and MRI (if indicated)).
What to do and what not to do?
The best decision is to seek help from a urologist as soon as negative symptoms appear. Even if it is extremely rare, this may indicate a latent pathogenesis, which is easier to treat in the early stages.
Naturally, you should not eat a lot of watermelon or you should completely stop using it until your doctor allows it. In addition, you need to maintain a drinking regime and be selective in your diet.
Important. If renal colic occurs, you need to give antispasmodics and analgesics, call an ambulance or urgently transport the patient to the urology department of the hospital.
Prohibited:
- self-medication;
- long-term use of any medications without doctor’s approval;
- you can’t take a lot of analgesics;
- do not heat the kidney area and lower back, as during exacerbations this will only worsen the situation.
Instructions for choosing watermelons
Treating kidney stones with watermelons and bread: a description of a home technique
You need to sit in a bath with warm water. It is better to carry out this procedure between five and nine o'clock in the evening. This is due to the fact that at this time the kidneys and liver “awaken” - according to biorhythms.
Due to the warm temperature of the water filled with the bath, it is possible to expand the urinary tract. This will help reduce spasms and reduce pain that will certainly occur when passing stones. And watermelon will increase urine output.
Ways to cleanse the kidneys with watermelon
The targeted use of watermelon to cleanse the kidneys is carried out in several ways.
Watermelon abundance
During the striped berry ripening season, you need to eat as much of it as possible.
The most acceptable amount is up to two kg per day. A single serving should not be more than 300-400 grams. In order for the sweet product to be absorbed as much as possible, it must be eaten separately, between meals. This will increase the amount of urine produced. To increase the effectiveness of treatment, you need to eat not only the pulp of the fruit, but also squeeze out the juice. It is advisable to mix it with a small amount of lemon juice. The acid that is present in it helps to dissolve solid salts and accelerate the destruction of kidney stones. The cleansing properties of watermelon juice are no worse than those of the pulp. They also drink it for preventive purposes.
Watermelon diet with bread
Mandatory conditions for a weekly watermelon diet:
- You can eat as many striped berries as your stomach can accommodate, that is, in unlimited quantities.
- Eat little bread.
- Exclude other products.
In the evening (from 17:00 to 21:00) you need to take a bath with warm water.
During this period, according to biorhythms, the awakening of the kidneys and liver begins. Warm water helps dilate the urinary tract. This means that thanks to being in it, pain will decrease and the spasms that are inevitable when moving stones will decrease. Eating sweet pulp will increase urine flow. In the first week of the watermelon diet, sand begins to come out and that’s it. To achieve the removal of stones, it should be repeated every two weeks.
After the second stage of the diet, the stones should descend into the ureter. They come out in the third week of eating watermelon with bread.
Before starting the procedure, consultation with the treating doctor is required. This will help minimize possible risks and avoid complications of chronic illnesses.
Cleansing the kidneys with watermelon will give results if you strictly follow the diet conditions. It is important to be extremely careful not to harm yourself. It is necessary to use watermelons with a minimum of nitrates. If their concentration in the berry is high, there is a significant risk of intoxication and dehydration.
Does watermelon remove kidney stones in just a week?
As a rule, no. After the first seven days of the watermelon diet, you will only come out with sand. Therefore, for those who adhere to the home watermelon method, folk wisdom recommends cleansing every couple of weeks.
After the second stage, pebbles should descend into the ureter. At this moment, it is important to monitor the state of health and be careful that the stone does not settle in the ureter. As a rule, the stones come out directly after the 3rd week of watermelon-bread cleansing.
Use bread and watermelon for cleansing with caution, and kidney stones can be removed.
Harm of watermelon to the urinary organ
No matter how tasty the juicy berry - watermelon - is, if you have kidney disease, you should not risk your health and overeat to the point of hiccups, as this will cause harm.
A reasonable approach to dietary nutrition based on watermelon will cleanse the body, and excess plant juice will aggravate urolithiasis.
Causes of pain after consumption
Lovers of the watermelon delicacy know that eating a large amount of pulp can cause pain in the lower back. This does not always indicate an existing problem, since the symptom may be caused by increased kidney function. In this case, it is worth reducing the volume of fluid consumed to restore the normal functioning of the organ.
As the pain intensifies, some complications are likely to develop:
- formed stones and sand begin to actively move in the ducts, which injures the mucous membrane of the canals;
- the ureter or pelvis is blocked by a stone (nephrolithiasis);
- defects of the urinary system (congenital or acquired) are provoked;
- nephroptosis - the kidney moves from its physiological location;
- secondary pyelonephritis develops;
- the parenchyma becomes inflamed after surgery or the occurrence of adhesions.
If the painful condition worsens, you should immediately seek medical help. Renal colic causes disproportionate suffering to patients.
Clinical manifestations
Symptoms and the degree of pain may vary, as there are many reasons for their occurrence. With uncomplicated unilateral nephroptosis, for example, the nature of the pain is aching and low-intensity. The same symptoms appear when fine sand comes out.
The movement of the stone in the lumen of the pelvis causes acute paroxysmal colic, after which the patient immediately seeks medical help. Moreover, not everyone can endure such conditions; many patients define them as the most terrible experiences in their lives.
A sharp deterioration in well-being and an increase in kidney pain is a compelling argument for urgent contact with specialists, since delay in such situations is life-threatening.
Medical contraindications
Diseases for which it is not recommended to consume watermelon can affect not only the kidneys, but also nearby tissues:
- pyelonephritis during exacerbation;
- phosphaturia - the formation of salts and stones in the pelvis;
- urinary dysfunction;
- large stones in the ducts;
- renal cyst;
- colitis and diarrhea;
- diabetes;
- pregnancy;
- prostate adenoma;
- pathologies of the heart and spleen, accompanied by fluid retention.
If you have chronic diseases of the digestive system, consuming watermelon can harm the body. Therefore, before tasting the sweet pulp, consult a specialist.
