Kidney Stones: Causes, Prevention, and Remedies

I was commenting on Kettle & Cup today that I head read an article about sweet tea being a cause of kidney stones.  When you understand what kidney stones are, and what causes them you can better prevent them completely.

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are formed of one of four materials:

• Calcium is the most common.  This is what forms with oxalate.
• A struvite stone forms after a urinary tract infection.
• A uric acid stone forms when there is too much acid in the system, generally from too much protein in the diet.
• Cystine stones are rare. They are caused by a hereditary condition.

When these crystals bond together and form particles they can be painful when pushed through the urinary tract.  They can cause problems when they are big enough to block the urinary tract.

Some of the symptoms are:

• extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
• blood in your urine
• fever and chills
• vomiting
• urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
• a burning feeling when you urinate

Causes 

It is because of the oxalate, a primary chemical in the formation of kidney stones.  Oxalate is also found in:

• rhubarb
•  spinach
•  strawberries
•  chocolate
•  wheat bran
•  nuts
•  beets

When these foods are eaten by people that are prone to kidney stones they can cause problems.  Generally it is when these things are eaten in excessive amounts.

Prevention and Treatment

There are some home treatments of kidney stones, and there are things you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place. One of the main things is to keep yourself hydrated.  Drink lots of water.

Water drinking is a habit. I know. I used to hardly ever drink water and now I feel dry and parched unless I am sipping it constantly. I developed a water habit!

Especially during the summer you should be drinking enough water that, with the exception of the first time you go to the bathroom in the morning, your urine should remain nearly clear.  The combination of sweating, and low water intake increases the possibility of kidney stones.

Other things to consider:

• 25 mgs of B6 per day lowers the oxalate in your blood.
• Magnesium decreases the risk of kidney stones
• Citric Acid- Drinking a glass of lemon juice in water every morning can prevent kidney stones.  Some people use unsweetened cranberry or grapefruit juice.
• Oddly, a glass of beer daily is also reputed to help prevent stones.

If you have them all ready the same cure for gall stones can work on kidney stones:

• Before going to bed: drink  1/4 cup  of organic olive oil mixed with about 1/4 cup lemon juice.
• Stay close to the bathroom.  The next morning you will have loose bowels.  The combination of the olive oil and lemon should soften the stones so that they pass easily through your urinary tract.

Always get with your doctor if you are in extreme pain or your symptoms continue.

Image:Morguefile