Kidney stone are [Renal calculi] aggregates of crystal protein and glycoproteins. Urine has all the ingredients that form the stone, but ideally all these pass through without our knowledge. When there is an imbalance in any of these substances, the crystals together cluster into stones. The size of the stone can be as small as a grain of sand to one as large as the size of golf ball.
The kidneys are a pair of organs that are primarily responsible for filtering metabolites and minerals from the circulatory system. These secretions are then passed to the bladder and out of the body as urine. Some of the substances found in urine are able to crystallize in a concentrated form. These chemicals can precipitate into a solid deposit attached to the kidney walls. These crystals can grow throw a process of accretion to form a kidney stone.
Types of kidney stones
- Calcium stones are most common type of kidney stones. They are usually made of calcium and oxalate, but are sometimes mad of calcium and phosphate.
- Uric acid stones form when your urine is often too acidic. Uric acid can form stones by itself or with calcium.
- Struvite stones can happen when you have certain type of urinary tract infections in which bacteria make ammonia that builds up in your urine. Struvite stones are made up of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate.
- Cystine stones are made of a chemical that your body makes naturally called cystine. Cystine stones are very rare, and happen in people who have genetic disorder that causes cystine to leak from the kidneys into the urine.
Causes of kidney stones
- Hereditary: Family history of renal stones(Genetic tendency) is also a risk factor for developing renal stone in a person.
- Lac of fluid in the body. Not drinking enough water each day can increase your risk of kidney stones. People who live in warm climate and those who sweat a lot are at higher risk.
- Diet rich in protein and salt: certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are susceptible. This stone formation is enhanced when there is an increased intake of calcium, calcium oxalate, uric acid or salt in our diet. High intake of animal protein, high salt diet, excessive sugar consumption, excessive Vit. D supplementation and excessive intake of oxalate containing foods such as spinach, rhubarb, nuts, wheat bran.
- Renal stones are more common in men than in women.
- Certain medications such as diuretics, calcium containing antacids, drug used to treat HIV etc. Lead to formation of renal stones.
- Recurrent urinary infections may leads to kidney stone.
- Certain medical conditions such as gout, hypercalciuria , hyperparathyroidism, kidney diseases such as renal tubular acidosis and other inherited metabolic conditions including cystinuria and hyperoxaluria. Chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of developing renal stones.
Symptoms of kidney stone
Kidney stones are one of the most painful medical condition. Kidney stones can remain asymptomatic until they obstruct the flow of urine. When obstruction to the flow of urine occurs at some point, person can get one or more of the following symptoms:
- Sever pain in back and side which may radiate to lower abdomen and into the groin area.
- Dysurea ; burning , stitching pain during urination.
- Haematuria ie. blood in urine due to minor damage to inside wall of kidneys , ureter or urethra.
- Persistant urge o urinate.
- Oliguria ie. Reduced urinary volume caused by obstruction of the bladder or urethra by stone.
- Pyuria ( pus in urine with fever and chills.)
- Nausea and vomiting
Homoeopathic Management Of Kidney Stones
Although kidney stones are considered a case for surgery under the conventional mode of medicine, as a matter of fact appropriate usage of homoeopathic medicines can dissolve the renal stone and helps to avoid surgical intervention and subsequent complication.
Homoeopathy is likely to help in the passage of small and larger stones with relieaving the agonizing pain caused by the same .However even after surgical removal of stones, homoeopathy still has a role to pay in preventing its recurrence. Homoeopathic treatment has got really good and effective natural remedies to treat this condition and minimize its reccurence remarkably as it stops stone formation tendancy. .Homoeopathic medicines for kidney stones are safe, natural and without side-effects.
Precautions to avoid kidney stones
- Drink enough water and other fluids to produce at least 2 lit. of urine a day. People should drink at least 3 lit. of water a day and in summer it should be increased by another liter. For someone who has kidney stones, he must drink at least 4 lit. of water every day.
- It is important to know that once a stone former, always a stone former. Anyone who has had kidney stones should try to prevent its recurrent.
- Urinate as soon as you get a urge.
- In case of uric acid stones avoid diet high in protein, such as meat.
- Avoid food that have been shown to increase the amount of oxalate ie. spinach, rhubarb, nuts, wheat bran.
- # Avoid drugs like antacid which contains calcium.
- Avoid high sodium diet.
- In all cases patients with stones should avoid soft drinks.
- Higher potassium intake can also lowers the risk of calcium stones.
- Avoid chocolate, tea, tomatoes, vinegar etc. as they may irritate the urinary tract.
- Avoid prolong use of Vit.D supplement.
