Kidney Stones: Natural Cures

Most small kidney stones do not require any high tech medical treatments as there are natural cures available for kidney stones. Drinking adequate water is one among them, which helps to pass out kidney stones painlessly. Sedentary life styles can also make the bones to release calcium, which in turn results in calcium stone formation. Engaging in some physical activity can help reduce the amount of calcium absorption of the body.

There are yet some natural cures for kidney stones that include herbal medicines can help remove kidney stones. Cleavers is one among them, which has proven result of curing kidney stones. Kava kava is another herbal medicine that has the capacity of providing slight sedation. Therefore, the person would not feel the pain while passing the stone. Seven barks are also used for sedative purposes. It helps in curing kidney stone problem. Gravel root is very effective herb, which helps in giving treatment to stones and gravel of the kidney.

Along with the herbal remedies, correct and balanced diet should be taken. Natural cures for kidney stones require a person to consume a diet that is high in fiber diet so that these stones can be passed easily. A patient must take about a lot of water everyday to remain free from kidney stones. Avoiding sugar, alcohol, beverages, refine white flour products etc proves to be beneficial in treating small kidney stones.

Low magnesium intake has strong link with kidney stone formation. Taking balanced diet enriched with magnesium and other minerals can decrease the size of existing stone and can prevent further stone formation.

Metabolic disorders can also lead to kidney stone formation. Hence natural cure for kidney stones concentrate on dealing with metabolic disorders. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They can help increase the prompt metabolic activities.

Oxalate rich foods can increase the level of calcium. Hence, people who are susceptible to kidney stone formation need to limit high oxalate foods like coffee, chocolates, spinach, tea etc. Taking calcium supplements must be avoided. Vitamin D is good for health and it enhances the calcium absorption. However, excessive vitamin D would lead to calcium stone formation. It is therefore considered to cure the kidney stone problem in natural way.

Figs and pomegranate proved to be the natural cures for kidney stones. Similarly, lemonade can also induce the body’s power to pass out the stones in the urine naturally. Watermelon can be taken as either fruit or juice to pass out stones. In fact, watermelon can reduce the acidity in urine and thereby prompts the small stone to move out in urine without causing any pain.

Basil extract and honey if mixed together can help to dissolve minor kidney stone granules.  Chewing on pomegranate seeds is also a great way to prevent the formation of these kidney stones. Taking one-teaspoon pomegranate seed powder can help remove the kidney stone naturally. Similarly French beans and radish leaves help in dissolving small stones.

Healthy and balanced diet along with adequate water intake is the best natural cure for kidney stones. The most important benefit of natural cures is that they do not cause any side effects. They help passing out stones in a painless way.

Kidney Stones: Types

Kidney stones are classified into five major types according to their composition. Formation of kidney stones can lead to severe renal complications. It is best to check with your doctor if you have doubts about developing kidney stones. Some common kidney stones types are described below

Calcium stones: This is one of the major kidney stones types.  They are usually found in people who end up taking excessive calcium in the form of supplements. Sometimes too much of calcium is absorbed from the diet and it is excreted into the urine where it forms as crystals. Similarly, excessive absorption of vitamin D can lead to Calcium stone formation. If you are diagnosed with this type of stones then you need to control the intake of meat as well as dairy products and should opt for a low calcium high fiber diet.

Allopurinal is one of the most effective drugs for people who suffer from calcium stones. But if the drug has any side effects in any of the patient, then he/ she should stop consuming the drugs.

Uric acid stones:  The second major kidney stones type is uric acid stones. People who receive Chemotherapy treatment for curing cancer have more concentration of uric acid in urine than normal people and so they are susceptible to uric acid stone formation. People who live in hot areas especially those who do not drink water have the chance of frequent dehydration. They may also pass low volume of urine. This increases the risk of uric acid stones. People who suffer from inflammatory bowel disorders or have the chronic diarrhea have a low pH urine along with a low volume of urine. Such people are vulnerable to uric acid stone formation.

Struvite stones: This is one of the kidney stone types. It occurs mainly due to urinary tract infections. The bacteria that produce urinary tract infections and thereby Struvite stones are proteus and klebsiella. Any conditions that cause urinary tract infection with bacteria have the ability to produce ammonia, which is a key factor in Struvite stone formation. Since bladder may have some urine stagnant, the possibility of bacteria growing is more.

Struvite stone does not really show any symptoms like other stones. However, recurrent urinary tract infection may be a symptom of Struvite stone.

Cystine stones: Cystine stones are not common since their formation highly relates to a rare disease called Cystinuria. This problem occurs mainly in children and young adults. Children who have family history of this stone are more likely to be affected by this disease. The main reason for developing cystine stones is that normal kidneys can reabsorb the amino acid filtered in the urine and then transfer it to the blood but in cystinuria, the kidney fails to reabsorb the cystine amino acid from the urine. Therefore, cystine dissolves in the urine and form crystals.

Drug stone: These are however, rare kidney stones types. Certain drugs taken to cure some other disease may form crystals and then such crystals will grow as stones. Persons who are undergoing treatment for HIV infection using  triamterene and protease inhibitor indinavir are susceptible to drug stone formation.
Although we divide kidney stones types into 5 classifications, kidney stones can also be formed as a combination of more than one or two types. In fact, one type of kidney stone formation tends to increase the chance of another type of stone formation.

Kidney Stones: Treatments

Generally, small kidney stones would pass through urine without any treatment. Taking lot of fluids and pain control medication is enough to move such small stones out of the body. However, if the pain is uncontrollable with the pills, then kidney stones treatments are essential. There are many types of treatments available to remove kidney stones. The doctor decides the treatment after analyzing the age, family history and physical condition of the patient. Some of the kidney stones treatments are discussed below:

 The doctor would prescribe some medicines to help the body to pass out kidney stones. Calcium channel blockers and alpha-blockers can help move out kidney stones quickly. If the stones block out the urinary tract and cause severe pain, then the doctor would suggest any of the medical or surgical kidney stones treatments.

Extracorporeal Shock wave Lithotripsy: This type of kidney stones treatment uses shock waves that enters the patient’s body easily and breaks the kidney stones into smaller pieces so that they can travel the urinary tract easily. This treatment never injures the body. However, the doctor gives some sedative measures like anesthesia. If the stones are somewhat large then the doctor uses a tube with a mesh called stent to keep the urethra open. This helps in passing the stones without blocking the urethra. This treatment requires just one hour. This treatment is suitable when the stone size is between 4 mm to 2.5 cm. Though it does not cause any pain, pregnant woman, person suffering from kidney infections, bleeding disorders etc are not advised to get this treatment.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: This method involves a treatment of inserting a small telescope into the kidney through a cut in the patient’s back. Then the surgeon removes the small stones. If the stone is large, then the surgeon breaks it down into pieces and then removes it. This method is used when the stone is large and not able to be removed by extracorporeal shock wave treatment.

Ureteroscopy: Ureteroscopy is yet another effective kidney stones treatment. Here the surgeon inserts a thin telescope called ureteroscope into the urethra. However, he does not make any incision in the body for inserting the telescope. This method helps him to identify the location of the kidney stone. Then the surgeon uses small forceps to remove the kidney stones. It is easy to remove smaller stones. However, for larger stones, the surgeon needs to break down to pieces first.

Breaking down the larger stones is a difficult process. There are several instruments available to break the stone into small pieces. In fact, most surgeons prefer laser in this process. However, Uteroscopy is not possible if the person had already had surgery in abdomen or pelvis. Any injury in urethra may also prevent the surgeon to give this treatment. Ureteroscopy is the best kidney stones treatment method. It proves to be successful for more than 95% of people. The treatment does not require long hours. The patient can return home the next day itself.

Open surgery: The doctor would suggest open surgery treatment to remove kidney only if not all the other treatments prove successful. In this method, the surgeon cuts in the side of the patient’s belly to reach the kidney and then the stone is removed through the cut. The patient requires anesthesia in order to provide this treatment.

Kidney Stones: Symptoms

Kidney stones are formed out of either small or large crystals that generally affect the overall functioning of the renal system. In most cases, the small size stones pass out in the urine without causing any pain or discomfort. However, large stones block the flow of urine and cause severe pain. The following are some of the kidney stones symptoms:

* Severe pain or ache in the back is one of the common symptoms of kidney stones.
* Intense pain in the bottom of ribs or groin would indicate stone formation.
* Traces of blood urine. This is because the stone may irritate the urethra and cause blood in urine. However, blood in urine can indicate some other disease also. Hence, blood in urine is not a clear and definite kidney stone symptom.
* Cloudy or smelly urine may also indicate the presence of stones in kidneys.
* An urge to pass urine frequently may be the symptom of kidney stone.
* Some people feel stinging or burning sensation while passing urine.
* Some people tend to urinate excessively during nights.
* Nausea and vomiting may persist.
* Fever and chills may also indicate kidney stones.
* Pus in urine, bloating etc may also be the symptom of kidney stones.

The above symptoms can also be indication of urinary tract infections or other disorders. However, any one who experiences any one or some of the above symptoms need to seek medical advise in order to confirm whether they have kidney stone problem or not.

Kidney stones symptoms in women are as follows;
The main symptom of kidney stone in women is acute pain. The pain will be more when the stone blocks the urethra. Most women complain that the pain is similar to labor pains they experience while giving birth.  However, when the stone stops migrating then it does not cause any pain. However, it would cause severe infection, damage kidney functions or stop kidney functions entirely.

Another important symptom is that women may feel pain at the time of menstruation in the lower abdomen. However, they may not identify this pain with kidney stones. If the pain is followed by fever, dullness, vomiting, nausea etc then they should immediately seek the medical help. This is important because these symptoms are closely associated with kidney stones. Early diagnosis can help reduce the severity of the disease.

Kidney stones symptoms in Children;
Kidney stone is disorder normally affects adults. However, some children may have the chances of getting kidney stones between 8 to 10 years of age.

Many symptoms may help to diagnose kidney stones in children. Some important symptoms are as follows:
* The child may pass urine having traces of blood.
* He\she may complain about severe pain while passing urine.
*  He \she may feel some pain in back or abdomen.
* He\she may pass urine with some sand like particles.

Kidney stones symptoms may vary from person to person depending upon the type of the stone. However, severe pain and blood in urine are the common symptoms for any type of kidney stones. The person needs medical help as soon as possible when he\she experiences any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

Kidney Stones: Surgery

Most kidney stones are small and can be dissolved with some natural remedies or through medication. However, some large stones are difficult to remove with medication. Such complicated stones require Kidney stones surgery. The surgery is also required to break down the large stones into pieces. Such small pieces can be later on removed by taking drugs. Some important types of kidney stones surgery are described below;

Ureteroscopy: In this method, a small telescope is inserted into the urethra and is passed through the bladder to reach the stone. Once the stone is located then the surgeon removes the stone with the small basket that is attached with the telescope. If it were not possible to remove the stone, then he breaks it down into small pieces. Ureteroscopy is done after giving local anesthesia to the patient.

Lithotripsy: Lithotripsy is an effective kidney stones surgery method if the stone is located in the kidney or upper urethra. This method involves a small instrument, which will break down the stone into number of small pieces. The small pieces would then be passed on through the urine. Though this method is effective, it is not suitable for those persons who are suffering from large stones or those who have any other medical problems.

Ultrasonic lithotripsy: This method resembles the lithotripsy method but with a small difference. This method uses sound waves to break down the stone. The sound waves are inserted into the urethra through an electronic probe.  The surgeon would then remove the small pieces of stones or the patient while passing urine would pass it on.

Electro hydraulic lithotripsy: Here shock waves are generated with the help of electricity and are inserted into urethra through a flexible probe. This method is highly efficient in breaking down kidney stones anywhere in the urinary system. General anesthesia is required for the patient in order to commence with this kidney stones surgery.

Extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy: This method uses highly impulsive shock waves to break down stones anywhere in the urinary system.  In this method, the surgeon breaks down the stone into small sand like granules, which would then be passed on by the patient in the urine. The surgery requires one hour. Local or general anesthesia is given to the patient for doing this surgery. This method should not be used for removing large stones or Struvite stones. This method is strictly prohibited for treating a pregnant woman.

Percutaneous Nephrostolithotomy: The surgeon performs this procedure after giving local anesthesia or intravenous sedation. A needle and guide wire is used to identify the exact location of the stone. The surgeon uses some surgical instruments like forceps to remove the stone. This Kidney stones surgery method is highly effective in removing large and medium stones. However, the patient requires hospitalization for two weeks before he/she can start taking up regular activity.
Open surgery: The doctors suggest open surgery for some patient in some rare cases. Such conditions require open surgery since other methods do not provide successful results. Here a cut is made in the patient’s back and the stone is removed through the cut. The patient is given general anesthesia to perform the surgery.

The patient can receive any of the above kidney stones surgery methods. The doctor determines the type of surgery after analyzing the age, physical condition, type and size of stone etc.

Kidney Stones: Removal

Kidney stones removal is an essential process since any blockage in urinary tract can cause buildup of urine and swelling of kidneys. Even if the stone do not cause any pain, it needs to be removed since it can cause kidney failure and permanent kidney damage. Hence, the patient needs to seek medical advice if he\she experiences severe pain while passing urine or passes bloody or cloudy urine. The doctor analyzes the patient’s age, physical condition and the size and type of stone and then suggests the type of kidney stones removal procedure.

Drinking plenty of water can induce the kidney stones removal process. In fact, small stones can be dissolved and removed through urine by drinking adequate amount of water. Similarly, fresh fruits and vegetables can also help in removing the stones painlessly.

There are some medications available to remove small and less complicated kidney stones. Allopurinol is a drug used in uric acid and calcium stone removal. Some over the counter medications are also available that directly hit the chemical composition of the stone and then dissolve the stone to pass out in urine.

If the stone is large and complicated, kidney stone removal process requires surgery. There are several surgery methods available. The physician determines the type of surgery to remove the stones after analyzing the size and type of stones.

Ureteroscopy is an effective method for removing kidney stones. Here the surgeon inserts a small telescope into the urethra and from there into the bladder to reach the stone. Then the surgeon removes the stone with the help of small basket attached with the telescope. However, if it were not possible to remove the stone under this method, the surgeon would break down it into small pieces. The small pieces would later on be removed with the help of drugs.

Lithotripsy is another kidney stones removal method. This method is particularly useful in removing the stones in the kidney or upper urethra. Here, the surgeon uses a small instrument to break down the stone into smaller pieces.

Ultrasonic lithotripsy is an advanced method of lithotripsy. Here the surgeon uses sound waves instead of instrument to fragment the large stone into pieces. The sound waves are inserted with the help of electronic probe into the urethra. This method is safe and effective in removing large stones.

Electro hydraulic lithotripsy is another effective kidney stones removal method. The surgeon inserts shock waves into urethra with the help of flexible probe. This method is highly efficient in removing large and complicated stones located anywhere in the urinary system.

Extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy is an effective method for removing large stones or Struvite stones. In this method, the surgeon breaks down the stone into small sand like granules, which can be passed on by the patient in the urine.

Percutaneous Nephrostolithotomy is the safest kidney stones removal method. The surgeon inserts a needle and guide wire into the urethra to locate the stone. Then he sues surgical instruments to remove the large and medium stones.

Though small stones can be removed without any treatment, large and complicated stones require surgical treatment. The patient needs to take any of the kidney stone removal method and clean up his\her urinary tract in order to avoid any serious effects.

Kidney Stones: Causes

Kidney stones causes can vary due to various factors and most times, they can never be determined for sure. These stones are either small or large in size. Very small stones pass through the urinary system without causing any trouble. However, large stones block the urinary tract and cause severe pain. One of the main kidney stones causes is the imbalance of salt and minerals in urine. Some common kidney stones causes are mentioned below;

Heredity plays a major role in causing kidney stones. People who have the family history of kidney stone problem are more vulnerable to the disease. Calcium stone, which is the major type of kidney stone generally, passes from parent or grandparent. 70% of people suffering from a hereditary disease called renal tubular acidosis have the chance of getting kidney stones.

The geographical location is yet another kidney stone cause. People living in hot climate have increased risk of kidney stones. This is because, they have more chances of dehydration and so their urine gets more concentrated. This may lead to kidney stone formation.

In most cases, wrong food habit is one of the main kidney stones causes. Excessive intake of sugar and soft drinks would cause kidney stone formation. High protein diet, high purine food like sweet bread, liver etc can cause kidney stones. Similarly too much of calcium consumption can lead to calcium stones. Oxalate rich food and high doses of vitamin D can increase the concentration of calcium in urine and cause calcium stone formation.

People who receive chemotherapy treatment for curing cancer have more concentration of uric acid in urine. Therefore, they are susceptible to uric acid stones, which is another type of kidney stone. Persons taking treatment for HIV infection with the drug known as triamterene and protease inhibitor indinavir are at a risk of developing Drug stone formation.

People who suffer from inflammatory bowel disorder or those who have the problem of chronic diarrhea have the problem of low pH urine and low volume of urine. This in turn would lead to kidney stone formation.

Gout is a medical condition, which causes increase in the level of uric acid in blood and thereby deposits lumps of uric acid in the form of kidney stone. Gout may be developed by obesity, alcohol intake, high blood pressure and some malfunction in kidney. Since gout affects the normal balance of urinary system, it causes kidney stones to form.


Urinary tract infections, which are common in women, can lead to stuvite stone formation in kidneys. Women above 40 years and women who are in their menopause period have more risks of getting kidney stone formation.

Blockage in urinary tract can also cause kidney stone formation. People who had passed kidney stones earlier are more susceptible to kidney stone formation again. In some cases, hyperparathyroidism, a medical condition may cause stone formation.

Diagnosing the Kidney stones causes is important to analyze the disease and to provide further treatment. In fact, diagnosing the cause can also help to detect the type of kidney stone in a patient.