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Natural Treatment for Kidney Stones
Developing Kidney Stones has become a more prevalent problem today than it was before. Blame it on the lifestyle changes, genetics or the change in food habits. Let us quickly go through the symptoms of Kidney stones:
- Severe, sharp or sudden pain in the back or in the side
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Fever and Chills
- Frequent Urination and/or blood in urine.
- Pain or burning sensation while urinating.
We understand that many of you will first look up to google asking for ‘Home remedies for Kidney Stones’ or ‘Treating kidney stones at home’ or ‘Natural treatments for Kidney Stones’. Before you take any home remedy to limit the formation of kidney stones or to get rid of them, you must first know that there are at least five different types of kidney stones and all of them cannot be removed using home remedies or by using natural treatments. Also, it is important that if the stones are larger in size, that will result in damage of kidney and the kidney may have to be removed.
Natural Treatment based on types of kidney stones:
a. Calcium Oxalate Stones
These stones are formed when you consume diet high in Oxalate. Oxalate rich foods are Potatoes, Rhubarb, Okra (Lady’s Finger), Leeks, Spinach, Beets, Swiss chard etc. You must avoid having any of these or at least reduce the portions in your meal. Calcium Oxalate Stones are also formed due to high intake of Vitamin D supplements or if you have metabolic disorders. If you are on Vitamin D supplements, you need to cut them down after consulting your doctor.
b. Struvite Stones
They are formed due to the increased bacteria in your urine or in the urinary tract due to Urinary Tract Infection. If you are consuming raw salads or sweet potatoes or any vegetables, make sure you wash them thoroughly to get rid of the soil they may have. The bacteria in this soil enter your gut and find their way to the kidneys and results in forming Struvite Stones. To avoid UTI, you need keep your private parts healthy, wash them regularly and maintain good hygiene there.
c.Uric Acid Stones
These stones are formed where the urine is highly acidic. This can be either due to less consumption of fluids or due to loss of fluids from the body due to frequent diarrhoea, diabetes or metabolic problems. Drinking more fluids and keeping body hydrated can help in reducing the acidity of the urine and formation of stones.
Risk factors that lead to formation of kidney stones and how to prevent them naturally
- Dehydration – Kidney stones are formed when the fluid content in the urine is less compared to other filtered substances. In such cases, these substances stick together in the kidneys instead of getting flushed out resulting in the formation of crystals and then stones. Keeping your body hydrated at all times by consuming more liquids can prevent kidney stones.
- Food habits – Consuming foods high in proteins, sugars, salt (sodium) help in formation of kidney stones. Keep a tab on how much protein you eat and also the processed sugars like sugar syrups. If you are protein supplements, you must stop them immediately.
- Obesity – Most prevalent problem these days. Working our regularly and keeping a check on your body weight helps in staying away from kidney stones.
- Excessive usage of supplements – If you are using supplements like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium based antacids or Calcium supplements, you must stop them immediately or you can check with your doctor and reduce the quantity that you are taking.
More general home remedies to treat kidney stones:
One must always keep an eye on the colour of his/her urine. Dark coloured yellow or brownish urine is an indication of dehydration. Drinking more liquids (majorly water) is the key to prevent the formation of kidney stones and to get rid of them fast. However, this may not work in some cases and they have to see a urologist. Instead of just water, adding a little bit more from your kitchen can help in accelerating the removal of kidney stones.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice contains ‘citrates’ which helps in prevention of formation of calcium stones. Citrates also help in breaking of existing stones and let them pass through the urine. Lemon juice also helps in reducing the bacterial infection in the body, thereby preventing the formation of Struvite stones.
- Basil Juice: Basil (called Tulasi/Tulsi in India), is a good remedy for kidney stones. You can consume it either by drying the leaves in shade, powder it and have it like your green tea; or, you can squeeze fresh leaves, add it to water and have it like decoction. The anti-oxidants present in basil helps in breaking down of kidney stones and also reduce the pain caused by them. Note that, you should not have this treatment for more than 6 weeks.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: 2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water can help in dissolving kidney stones due to the presence of ‘Acetic Acid’. This will also reduce the pain caused by the stones. You should not consume more than 2 tea spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a day. People suffering from diabetes must be careful when having this mixture. They should monitor their blood sugar levels regularly.
- Pomegranate Juice: This is one of the best home remedies available as there is no limit on how much you can consume in a day. It is full of anti-oxidants that can flush out the stones and also remove toxins in the body. It can help in reducing the acidity levels of the urine which leads to less stone formation chances in the future.
- Kidney bean broth: Have you ever heard that, “eat what resembles the shape of your body part and it will heal that part?” Kidney beans are a classic example in that category. Boil kidney beans in water, squeeze out the beans and drink the liquid part of it twice or thrice a day. This helps in keeping your kidneys in perfectly healthy condition. It also improves the urinary tract health.
- Wheatgrass juice: 50ml to 200ml wheatgrass juice can help in increasing the urine flow and flushing out the kidney stones. It also has vital nutrients that can clean the kidneys from unwanted substances. If fresh juice is not available, you can make a decoction with wheatgrass powder that is widely available.
- Eating magnesium rich foods: This is a little tricky one. If you know that your kidney stones are due to metabolic imbalances, consuming magnesium rich foods will help in getting rid of them. Some of magnesium rich foods include Avocados, Green leafy vegetables, cashew nuts, tuna, pumpkin seeds etc. Magnesium helps in improving metabolism, muscle movements and energy production. A little bit of research has been done that shows, magnesium helps in reducing the formation of Calcium Oxalate stones. However, on the contrary, there are studies that prove the opposite. You must check with your urologist on this one.
If one of your parents have kidney stones problem, it is very likely that you may inherit the condition. In such cases, prevention is better than cure. If you start taking necessary amounts of fluids as mentioned here and manage weight with regular work outs, you can surely minimise the risk of kidney stones. Trying home remedies after you are diagnosed with kidney stones is a little risky, especially if the stones are larger in size. A good urologist will advise you these home remedies along with medication if the stones are small in size and can be eliminated with simple lifestyle modifications and medicines. While you are on medication or using home remedies, you must see your doctor when the symptoms get worse and before they damage your kidney to a non-restorable state.