The idea that drinking beer could aid in flushing out kidney stones is a misconception because beer can cause calcium oxalate crystals to form, increasing the possibility of kidney stones, Tainan-based urologist Su Chia-chen (蘇家震) said on Thursday last week.
Although beer is a diuretic, it would only help flush small kidney stones that happen to be stuck in the urethra, but it was an option best used only in an emergency, and was not an alternative to actual medical treatment, Su said.
The only way to help the body remove kidney stones is hydration, Su said, adding that a daily intake of at least 1.5 liters of water was the only to prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Males have a higher chance of developing kidney stones than females, with a greater percentage of patients being adolescents or adult males, said Su, who works at Chi Mei Medical Center.
People prone to excessive perspiration might also experience urinary concentration and are among those who have a higher risk of developing kidney stones, as well as people who drink little or no water, habitually delay urination until they feel they cannot hold it anymore, and those who overeat, Su said.
Other high-risk groups include people who avoid eating breakfast or are fond of midnight stacks, those who work in high-temperature environments, those with jobs that require less physical action and those with chronic metabolic diseases, Su said.
Having a kidney stone once and having it removed raises the chance of a recurrence, Su said.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
RSS