HOME REMEDIES FOR KIDNEY STONES

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HOME REMEDIES FOR KIDNEY STONE

To profer home remedies to kidney stones, it is a proper thing to first know about the kidneys.

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine, behind the belly and at the lowest level of the rib cage. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long, roughly the size of a large fist, and contains up to a million functioning units called nephrons. A nephron consists of a filtering unit of tiny blood vessels called a glomerulus attached to a tubule.

As blood enters the glomerulus, it is filtered and the remaining fluid then passes along the tubule where chemicals and water are either added or removed from this filtered fluid according to the needs of the body, with urne as the final product.

The urine we excrete has been stored in the bladder for between 1 annd 8 hours.

FUNCTIONS OF THE KIDNEYS

Balance the body’s fluids.
Release hormones that regulate blood pressure.
Produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones.
Remove drugs from the body.
Control the production of red blood cells
Remove waste products from the body.

Despite these very important functions of the kidneys in our daily lives, the kidneys are prone to either of the following conditions if proper care is not maintained;

Six Common Kidney Diseases

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) CKD slowly damages the kidneys over time. It means the kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they ought to, The main risk factors for developing CKD are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney failure.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) – Also called acute renal failure (ARF) is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage that happens within a few hours or a few days. It develops rapidly over a few hours or days, and could be fatal. It’s most common in those who are critically ill and already hospitalised. Symptoms include reduced urination, swellings due to fluid retention, nausea, vomitting, fatigue and shortness of breath. It could sometimes be symptomless or have subtle symptoms.
Kidney stones – Otherwise called renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) are hard deposits made of salts and minerals that form inside the kidneys. Diet, excess body weight, and certain supplements and medications are some of the causes of kidney stones
Kidney infections – Also known as pyelonephritis, is a form of urinary tract infection (UTI) that generally begins in the bladder or urethra and travels to one or both kidneys.
Kidney cysts or renal cysts are fluid-filled sacs, or pouches on or in one or both kidneys. One can have just one cyst or many cysts.
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of the kidney, the most common being renal cell carcinoma (RCC). It accounts for about 90% of all cases, usually affecting only one kidney, though it may develop in both kidneys in rare cases.

Signs of Kidney Disease

For kidney diseases, symptoms may develop slowly and aren’t specific to the disease. Some people have no symptoms at all and are diagnosed by a lab test;

Blood in urine. When the kidneys’ filters have been damaged, blood cells may start to leak out into the urine.This is unlike healthy kidneys which typically keep the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine. Blood in urine can also indicate tumors, kidney stones or an infection.
Dry and itchy skin. Kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, help keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in the blood. When the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood, dry and itchy skin can result.
Fatigue and poor concentration. A reduced kidney function can cause toxins and impurities to build up in the blood which can cause tiredness and poor concentration. Anemia, another complication of kidney disease, can cause weakness and fatigue.
Insomnia. When the kidneys aren’t functioning optimally, toxins excretion through the urine becomes difficult and can lead to poor sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population.
Frequent urination Kidney diseases can cause the need to urinate more often, especially at night, When the kidneys filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this can also be a sign of a urinary infection, hyperglycemia or prostate enlargement in men.
Foamy urine. Excessive bubbles in the urine – especially those that require to be flushed several times before they go away—indicate high blood protein. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein that is found in eggs.
Gout. Reduced kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing [painful]swelling in feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities may also result from heart diseases, liver diseases and chronic leg vein problems.
Poor appetite. Though a very general symptom, but a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
Muscle cramps . Electrolyte imbalances can result from impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus may contribute to muscle cramping.
Eye bags The puffiness around the eyes can indicate that the kidneys are leaking a large amount of protein in the urine, instead of keeping it in the body. Protein in the urine is an early sign that the kidneys’ filters have been damaged, allowing protein to leak into the urine.

KIDNEY DISEASES IN FIGURES

Chronic kidney disease is a progressive condition that is said to affect more than10% of the general population worldwide, amounting to over 800 million individuals. Chronic kidney disease is more prevalent in older individuals, women, racial minorities, and in people experiencing diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

In the United States, about 37 million people, representing about15 percent adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease. Some other health consequences of CKD include: Anemia or low number of red blood cells.

KIDNEY STONES

Having looked at kidney diseases generally, let us take a closer look at our main issue of the day , which is kidney stones.

Kidney stones (also called renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that calcify inside the kidneys or other parts of the urinary tract and are often painful when passed..

Among the many causes of kidney stones are diet, excess body weight, high blood protein, infections, excessive calcium in the body, pain relieves, dehydration [poor water intake or excessive exercise in the sun], poor blood circulation, some medical conditions, and certain supplements and medications.

STATISTICS

Kidney stone disease is a common health disorder in the Western world with a reported lifetime prevalence of 10–12% in men and 5–6% in women. It occurs most commonly in middle-aged men and whites are more affected than Blacks and Asians .

Symptoms

A kidney stone usually will not cause symptoms until it moves around within the kidney or passes into one of the ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys and bladder.

If a kidney stone becomes lodged in the ureters, it may block the flow of urine and cause the kidney to swell and the ureter to spasm, which can be very painful. At that point one may experience these symptoms:

Note that pain caused by a kidney stone may change in location or in intensity — as the stone moves through the urinary tract.

Nausea and vomiting
Severe, sharp pain in the side and back, below the ribs
Pain or burning sensation while urinating
Pink, red or brown urine
Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
A persistent need to urinate, urinating more often than usual or urinating in small amounts
Fever and chills if an infection is present
Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin
Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity

HOME REMEDIES FOR KIDNEY STONES

Water – When passing a stone, upping your water intake can help speed up the process. Strive for 12 glasses of water per day instead of the usual 8.

Lemon juice
Basil juice
Celery juice
Pomegranate juice

But where the condition is very chronic and defies these remedies, a specially put-together pack for kidney stones, which has treated many such conditions, is recommended.

By using the pack, one will succeed in treating kidney stones by treating the causes because;