Kidney Stones Causes and Home Remedies

Kidney stones or renal calculi are solid stone-like crystalline mineral mass formed within the kidney or urinary tract. The disorder leading to kidney stone formation is medically termed as nephrolithiasis. A kidney stone may vary in size from as minute as a sand grain to as big as a tennis ball. Males are more susceptible to kidney stone formation than females. Stones in kidney are common among middle aged people. When the concentration of the minerals in urine increases to such an extent, that urine cannot dissolve them, the minerals crystallize and get deposited to form stones. Stones in kidney are mainly of the following 3 types:

1. Oxalate stones - These stones have a coating of altered blood, and have a rough, hard and spiky appearance.

2. Uric acid stones - These stones are common in people with high uric acid levels in blood. They are brown in color and have a laminated appearance.

3. Phosphate stones - These stones are soft and chalky in appearance. They usually mingle with oxalate or urate stones or get deposited on them.

Stones in kidney may get lodged any where in the urinary tract. Severe pain occurs when the stone migrates. The stone may damage or rupture internal structures, causing much bleeding. If stone in kidney goes untreated, it may even lead to kidney failure. The symptoms of stone formation in kidney include cramping pain in the low back, sides, groin or abdomen, painful urination, scanty urination, nausea, vomiting, chills, sweating, blood in urine, urinary urgency and fever. The causes of stones may be listed as follows:

1. Heredity
2. Dehydration due to excessive sweating or strenuous exercise.
3. Low intake of fluids
4. Metabolic disorders
5. Urinary tract infection
6. Over-eating
7. High intake of acid forming food
8. Excess intake of refined food, meat, spicy food, condiments, tea and coffee.
9. Vitamin A deficiency
10. Over-intake of Vitamin D
11. Sedentary lifestyle
12. Pregnancy
13. Inflammatory bowel disease
14. Hyperparathyroidism
15. Renal diseases like tubular acidosis
16. Chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes etc.
17. Surgeries like intestinal bypass or ostomy surgery.
18. Medications like calcium-containing antacids, medicines to treat HIV infection, protease inhibitor indinavir etc.

Home Remedies

1. Eat apples daily. It prevents stone formation.

2. Make a paste by grinding pomegranate seeds. Add 1 teaspoon of the paste to a bowl of gram soup and drink. You may also simply consume pomegranate to get cured of kidney stones.

3. Eat watermelons in plenty. It helps in diluting stones in kidney and enables easy passage through urine.

4. Drink grape juice daily and also consume grapes in plenty to get rid of kidney stones.

5. Soak kidney beans in water and keep ove
ight. In the morning, cut the beans in to two halves and boil in 4 liters of water for about 6-8 hours. Strain the mixture and allow it to cool. Drink a glass of the water after every one hour. This is the best home remedy for stones in kidney.

6. Regular intake of celery helps to remove kidney stones.

7. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to a glass of fresh tomato juice and drink. This helps to eliminate kidney stones.

8. Boil 2 figs in 1 cup water and drink the water early in the morning in empty stomach. This cures kidney stone problem.

9. Drink coconut water daily. It helps in easy removal of kidney stones.

10. Take 1 cup of radish leaves juice thrice a day to get rid of kidney stones.

11. Cut 3-4 raw ladies fingers in to small pieces and soak them in water ove
ight. In the morning, press out the pulp off the ladies fingers, mix it thoroughly in to the water, drain the mixture and drink 3 times a day. This is an effective home remedy for kidney stones.

12. Boil 2-3 small onions in a glass of water for 15 minutes. Drain the mixture and let it cool. Add some sugar and drink it thrice daily to get relief from stone problem.

13. Extract the juice of 4-5 basil leaves. Add 1 tablespoon honey to the juice and take in the morning. This gives fast relief from stones.