What Is A Kidney Stone
In medical terms, a kidney stone is called renal calculi and the condition of having kidney stones is called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. Every 1 in 1000 people will experience a Kidney Stone at least once in their life. It used to be the case that Kidney Stones were considered to be a problem for older adults but recently, children as young as five or six have been experiencing them.
What Do They Feel Like
A sudden feeling of excruciating pain in your side, groin or abdomen that is not relieved by movement along with blood in the urine are both common symptoms of kidney stones. Nausea and vomiting can occur if the pain is severe enough or fever and chills can be experienced if there is also an infection present.
Why Do They Form
Each person’s urine contains crystals from different minerals and chemicals in their bodies. Normally, your urine also contains chemicals that prevent these crystals from bonding but if these chemicals are not present or not functioning properly then the crystals can bond together to form a hard mass known as a kidney stone. Small stones can be passed during urination unnoticed but if the stones become too large then they can have trouble moving through the urinary tract and travel very slowly.
Types of Kidney Stones include:
1) Calcium Oxalate Stones which are one of the most common occurrences and develop in acidic urine with a PH of less than 6. These stones usually form when the diet includes foods that are rich in oxalate such as Black Tea, Soft Drinks, Soy, Coffee, Chocolate, Peanuts, Rhubarb, Swiss Chard, Spinich, Tomatoes and Strawberries. Excessive amounts of Vitamin C can also be metabolized to oxalate in the body.
2) Calcium Phosphate Stones is another common occurrence and they develop in alkaline urine with a PH greater than 7.2. These types of stones are often associated with a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Gout, Renal Tubular Acidosis or Hyperparathyroidism.
3) Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate or Struvite/Infection Stones which develop when there is ammonia present and the urine is alkaline with a PH greater than 7.2. These type of stones are more common in females than in males due to the female’s susceptibility to UTIs which you can read about here: https://wisdomthatheals.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/bladder-infection-uti-cystitis-they-all-spell-p-a-i-n/
4) Uric Acid Stones which are formed from a diet high in purine meats like dark chicken, fish and red meat.
5) Cystine Stones which are caused when there is impaired renal tubular reabsorption of cystine, ornithine, lysine, and arginine.
Dehydration can increase the risk of Kidney Stones because the urine becomes very concentrated allowing more of the minerals to come into contact with each other and bind together. Kidney Stones are so common in the Southeast United States that it has actually been dubbed the “Stone Belt” with a theory that the warm weather there makes people sweat faster than they are able to hydrate. Making sure to hydrate with plenty of pure water is extremely important especially during strenuous exercise.
There was a recent report from China that children developed kidney stones when they drank milk tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical illegally added to milk. It has also been found that the more overweight a person is, the more likely it is that they will develop Kidney Stones but this may be due to their increased consumption of soft drinks and other unhealthy foods. A high intake of caffeine has also been linked to a higher risk of Kidney Stones due to the increased excretion of calcium into the urine that caffeine is known to cause.
Cancer can also cause the body to produce an abnormally large amount of parathyroid hormone which can break down bone and release too much calcium into the blood which in turn excretes it into the urine.
What Do You Do About Them?
If the person is unable to pass the stone naturally then a procedure called lithotripsy is often used. In this procedure, shock waves are used to break up a large stone into smaller pieces that can pass through the urinary system more easily.
There are also natural methods for helping to dissolve the stones so they can pass more easily. It is said that Basil juice, taken regularly for six months can help kidney stones to move more easily through the urinary tract. You can also try the following recipe which can be found in the Essential Oils Integrative Medical Guide, by D. Gary Young, N.D.
Kidney stone blend #1:
• 5 drops Rosemary CT cineol
• 5 drops Geranium
• 5 drops Juniper
• 1 Tablespoon agave or maple syrup
• 1/2 lemon
• 8 oz. distilled water
Emulsify oils in one tablespoon agave or maple syrup, add the juice from one-half a lemon, and 8 ounces of warm water and drink on empty stomach. Do this 2-3 times daily until stone passes.
Some herbs are considered to be Antilithic which means that they help to prevent stone formation and can also help the stone to pass once it has formed. These herbs include Bearberry, Buchu leaves, Corn Silk, Couchgrass, Gravel Root, Hydrangea, Parsley, Sea Holly, Stone Root, Uva Ursi leaves and Wild Carrot.
As Always, Prevention is Key
There are many natural ways to help prevent the formation of Kidney Stones. Silicon rich foods support bone health so eating foods rich in silicon is thought to help prevent excessive calcium excretion into the urinary system. Silicon rich foods include organically grown grains, fruits and vegetables, particularly oats, radishes, onions, garlic, seaweeds and bee pollen.
Lemons and other citrus fruits contain citrate which helps to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Researchers have found that the components that accompany the citrate can alter the effectiveness of the juice in decreasing the risk of developing new kidney stones though and have found that orange juice is actually better than lemonade in preventing stone formation. Aloe Vera gel is also very high in both citrate and tartrate which makes it a good addition to the diet if you wish to prevent kidney stone formation.
Another option is Evening Primrose oil which helps to decrease the amount of calcium excreted into the urine and so might be helpful in preventing stones which form from calcium.
It has also been found that a particular bacteria in the gut called Oxalobacter formigenes helps to break down calcium oxalate so taking a high quality probiotic or eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, Natto or Kefir can be beneficial.
Other foods that are considered to be healing sources for kidney stones include Green Beans, Rice, Almonds, Cranberries, Celery, Radishes and Kiwi.
There are also herbs that are considered to be Lithotriptic which means that they help to dissolve and discharge urinary stones once they have formed. These herbs include Alfalfa, Buchu Leaf, Barberry, Cascara, Sagrada, Chaparral, Cornsilk, Dandelion, Devil’s Claw, Gravel Root, Horsetail, Hydrangea Root, Juniper Berry, Lovage, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Nettle, Oregon Grape Root, Parsley, Tormentil, Uva Ursi and White Oak Bark.
– For Educational Purposes Only
– Not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition
-These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA
– These statements are my opinions and conclusion from the knowledge I have thus far
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