Kidney Stones

Looking for Kidney Stone Relief?*

As per the National Institute of Health (NIH), there is good news: most kidney stones pass out of the body without the need for surgery or other potentially harmful medical treatments and in most cases, a person may only need to implement simple lifestyle changes for relief. Major surgery is now usually the last resort for treating kidney stones.²

Healthy lifestyle changes can either help stones pass easily from the urinary tract or help prevent them in the first place. Such as drinking plenty of water (6 - 8 glasses) each day, to produce enough urine to flush away substances that form stones in the kidneys.

Other helpful factors include having your doctor or licensed dietician create a special diet to help reduce or eliminate substances in the urine that can lead to kidney stones. Your doctor may also ask you to eat more of some foods and cut back on others. For example, if you are prone to forming calcium oxalate stones, you may need to reduce foods that are high in oxalate. These foods include rhubarb, beets, spinach, and chocolate.^2,3,4

The NIH reports that researchers at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, have been examining certain dietary supplements that could possibly decrease the levels of certain substances in the urine that can cause problems such as kidney stones.⁵

With a natural holistic health approach you may better support improved kidney health and a healthy urinary tract all at the same time. Dietary supplements like vitamins, herbs and minerals that are formulated to support healthy kidney and urinary tract function can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle for those concerned with kidney stones formation and removal.*

A healthy body and kidneys combined with a healthy urinary tract may not develop kidney stones in the first place...*

Kidney Stones Information

Alternative Names

Renal calculi; Nephrolithiasis; Stones - kidney

Definition

A kidney stone is a tiny crystal mass. The kidney or ureter can have one or more stones at the same time.
Also see: Cystinuria

Causes

When urine contains too much of certain substances kidney stones can form. Small crystals of these substances become stones.
Dehydration is the biggest risk factor for kidney stones.

Kidney stones may not produce symptoms until they begin to move down the tubes (ureters) through which urine empties into the bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys. This causes swelling of the kidney or kidneys, causing pain. The pain is usually severe.

Kidney stones are common. A person who has had kidney stones often gets them again in the future. Kidney stones often occur in premature infants.

Some types of stones tend to run in families. Certain kinds of stones can occur with bowel disease, ileal bypass for obesity, or renal tubule defects.

There are different types of kidney stones. The exact cause depends on the type of stone.

• Calcium stones are most common. They occur more often in men than in women, and usually appear between ages 20 - 30. They are likely to come back. Calcium can combine with other substances, such as oxalate (the most common substance), phosphate, or carbonate to form the stone. Oxalate is present in certain foods. Diseases of the small intestine increase the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.
• Cystine stones can form in people who have cystinuria. This disorder runs in families and affects both men and women.
• Struvite stones are mostly found in women who have a urinary tract infection. These stones can grow very large and can block the kidney, ureter, or bladder.
• Uric acid stones are more common in men than in women. They can occur with gout or chemotherapy.

Kidney stones can also be formed by other substances.

Source:

• National Institutes of Health
• http://www.nih.gov/news/WordonHealth/nov2002/kidneystones.htm
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000458.htm
• http://www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/stones_ez/
• http://nccam.nih.gov/health

 

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